Carbon neutrality strategies have become more common in recent years to address climate change. To decarbonize, organizations can evaluate their current GHG emissions, determine trajectories towards neutrality by setting targets, and identify ways to reduce GHG emissions. Means to reduce GHG emissions include actions such as efficiency standards, shifts to renewable energy, and alternative sourcing of low carbon-intensity materials in the supply chains. As organizations begin to invest in projects to provide climate solutions centered around carbon neutrality, such as renewable energy projects, a key necessity is ensuring sustainable interaction with other elements of the environment, which the analysis and permitting processes can support. Environmental reviews are inherently a part of sustainability strategies. Completing an environmental analysis of future projects concurrently with the design phases can help to identify any critical environmental or permitting issues and identify alternative options that would create the least impact. Environmental analyses can range from high-level critical issues analysis to intensive regulatory environmental impact statements. It is important to understand the inherent role these assessments play within sustainable management structures. A more holistic picture of what sustainability means can lead to collaboration between sectors and provide a more streamlined process for implementing climate change solutions. For example, an analysis of green hydrogen projects also needs to include consideration of transportation of hydrogen to the end users and the associated environmental impacts. There are also important safety aspects to consider for a potential future hydrogen economy, such as safe production facilities and public education on hydrogen hazards. Widening the lens of sustainability can help us better understand how other processes are interconnected within the decarbonization and sustainable management structures.
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