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As climate change intensifies, businesses must prioritize sustainability to mitigate its impact. For property management firms, partnering with green vendors, especially eco-friendly security contractors, is crucial in reducing their carbon footprint. Green security contractors, like USPA Nationwide Security, utilize electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and energy-efficient operations to ensure both safety and environmental responsibility. Aligning with green security vendors allows property management firms to contribute to sustainable development goals, improve air quality, and reduce energy consumption. As buildings contribute nearly 40% of global CO₂ emissions, property managers who prioritize green partnerships can significantly lower their environmental impact. By choosing vendors who share a commitment to sustainability, property management firms not only meet regulatory standards but also appeal to eco-conscious tenants and investors. In an increasingly eco-focused market, green partnerships are essential for future growth and environmental responsibility.
Collaboration Among Green Businesses is Key to Reducing Emissions, Enhancing Sustainability, and Creating Lasting Environmental Impact for a Low-Carbon Future
By: Michael Evans, Founder of USPA Nationwide Security
Leading the Charge as a Platinum-Level Green Company
As the world faces a climate crisis of unprecedented proportions, the need for decisive, science-based action is more urgent than ever. At USPA Nationwide Security, we are committed to being a part of the solution. As a Platinum Level Green Company (Fact Check), we have aligned our business practices with global sustainability goals, and actively partner with like-minded organizations to make a measurable impact on the environment. The choices we make today—electrifying our fleet, adopting green technologies (Fact Check), and forging alliances with eco-conscious property management firms—are part of a broader strategy aimed at combating climate change and preserving the planet for future generations. But why is this necessary, and what does it mean for our clients and society at large?
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Here’s What’s Inside
Why Green Companies Must Unite
Understanding Radiative Forcing and Climate Impact
The Role of Sustainable Vendors in Property Management
Scientific Backing for Sustainability Strategies
How Green Security Contractors Reduce Carbon Footprints
Aligning Property Management with Low-Carbon Solutions
The Future of Eco-Friendly Partnerships for Climate Action
The Science Behind Climate Change: Why Immediate Action is Essential
Climate change is a reality, and its drivers are well understood. According to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), human activities have resulted in positive radiative forcing, a measure of the imbalance in Earth’s energy system caused by factors such as the accumulation of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄). These gases trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. The report estimates that human-caused radiative forcing since pre-industrial times is +2.72 watts per square meter (W/m²), reflecting the significant impact of emissions on the climate.
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What’s at Stake: The Consequences of Inaction
If current emission trends continue, the IPCC projects a potential rise in global temperatures by 3°C or more by 2100. The implications of this are stark: sea levels could rise by more than 1-meter, displacing millions of people in coastal areas and submerging major cities like Miami and Dhaka. Extreme weather events—hurricanes, droughts, floods—will become more frequent and severe, straining economies and causing widespread devastation. Biodiversity loss, food insecurity, and public health crises will further exacerbate global inequality and instability.
If emissions continue unchecked, global temperatures could rise by 3°C by 2100, causing severe weather, sea level rise, and mass displacement across coastal regions."
The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024 serves as a sobering example of the intensifying extreme weather driven by climate change. Helene, now the second-deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland U.S. in over 55 years, claimed the lives of over 160 people across six states, including North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. Catastrophic flooding decimated communities in towns like Swannanoa and Chimney Rock, North Carolina, where residents watched helplessly as their homes were swept away by rising floodwaters. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed, roads washed out, and the loss of life left a deep emotional scar. In one heartbreaking instance, an Asheville mother lost her 7-year-old son and her parents when floodwaters tore apart their home, sweeping her loved ones into the river. This tragic event underscores the human cost of inaction on climate change.
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Hurricane Ian in 2022 was another stark reminder of the consequences of global warming, causing more than $100 billion in damages across Florida and displacing thousands of people. Likewise, the California wildfires in 2020 burned over 4 million acres of land, with wildfires becoming more frequent and intense due to the warming climate and prolonged drought conditions. These events are no longer isolated disasters—they are becoming regular occurrences, and they are only expected to intensify unless bold action is taken to reduce emissions.
At USPA, we understand that business as usual is no longer an option. That’s why we have made sustainability a cornerstone of our operations. We’ve embraced the shift to 100% electric vehicles (EVs), significantly reducing our carbon footprint and contributing to cleaner air in the communities we serve. We are also implementing green building practices and energy-efficient technologies to minimize our environmental impact across all operations.
Our alignment with the global initiative focused on sustainable development, reflects our commitment to not only reducing emissions but also ensuring the long-term health of ecosystems. Through these efforts, USPA is playing an active role in the global transition to a low-carbon future.
Partnering with Property Management Firms: A Shared Vision
Sustainability is not a goal we can achieve in isolation. That’s why we are proud to partner with property management firms that share our vision of a sustainable future. These partnerships are critical because the built environment accounts for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. By working together, we can implement green energy solutions, energy-efficient building designs, and sustainable waste management practices that align with the broader goals of reducing carbon footprints and enhancing climate resilience.
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In many ways, the property management sector is at the forefront of the fight against climate change. Buildings contribute nearly 40% of global CO₂ emissions, and the need for energy-efficient designs and low-carbon technologies is greater than ever. By aligning ourselves with firms that prioritize green building practices, we ensure that both our services and our partnerships are making a measurable impact on the environment.
60% of today’s CO₂ emissions will remain in the atmosphere for 1,000 years, continuing to warm the planet long after emissions stop. Inaction now has irreversible consequences."
The Importance of Green Initiatives: Why It Matters
USPA’s sustainability initiatives are not just about meeting targets—they are about driving real, lasting change. Consider the persistence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere: even if we stopped all emissions today, 60% of the CO₂ we’ve emitted would remain in the atmosphere 1,000 years from now, continuing to warm the planet. This fact underscores the importance of reducing emissions as much and as quickly as possible, to mitigate the long-term impacts on climate.
Our approach is grounded in science and aligned with the latest climate models, which show that the actions we take today can significantly alter the future trajectory of climate change. By reducing emissions and partnering with companies that share our values, we are helping to slow the rise in global temperatures, lessen the frequency of extreme weather events, and ultimately ensure a livable planet for future generations.
Why Sustainability is the Future of Business
As climate change accelerates, businesses that fail to adapt will inevitably be left behind. At USPA, we believe that sustainability is the future of business. Companies that embrace green practices will not only be better positioned to thrive in a rapidly changing market, but they will also gain the trust and loyalty of clients who demand ethical and environmentally responsible operations.
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As governments introduce stricter regulations on emissions, businesses that are already aligned with sustainability goals will be ahead of the curve, avoiding costly penalties and benefiting from incentives aimed at reducing environmental impact.
A Call to Action
The science is clear: the climate crisis demands immediate, sustained action. At USPA, we have made the commitment to be part of the solution, not only by embracing green technologies and sustainable practices, but also by aligning ourselves with partners who share our values and our vision for a healthier planet. Our Platinum Level Green Company status is more than a label—it is a pledge to future generations that we will do everything in our power to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Ian, and the California wildfires serve as stark reminders of what is truly at stake. These disasters are no longer isolated anomalies; they are the result of a rapidly changing climate that is threatening lives, businesses, and ecosystems on an unprecedented scale. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the need for robust safety measures and disaster response is more urgent than ever.
At USPA Nationwide Security, we continue to innovate and collaborate with forward-thinking clients, including property management firms, to help mitigate the risks posed by these growing climate threats. By prioritizing sustainability, we are playing a key role in transitioning businesses away from being part of the problem and towards becoming part of the solution. However, the time for bold action is now—companies that embrace sustainable practices will shape a future defined by resilience, responsibility, and shared prosperity.
Until we, as a society, are able to reduce the need for services like disaster recovery, USPA Nationwide Security is here to provide the storm-related fire watch services and disaster recovery support you need to protect your business. Reach out to us today to ensure you are prepared for the challenges ahead. Let us help safeguard your assets and communities while we work together toward a sustainable, secure future. Contact USPA for your fire watch and disaster recovery coverage now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the overwhelming scientific consensus is that human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, are causing global climate change by increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. (Citation)
Current warming is occurring about 10 times faster than after past ice ages, largely due to human-caused CO₂ emissions, accelerating climate impacts.
Greenhouse gases like CO₂ trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to a warming effect. CO₂ levels are rising faster now than in any natural event over the past 800,000 years.
Global sea levels have risen about 8 inches in the past century, with rates nearly doubling in the last two decades due to melting ice sheets and ocean expansion.
Ocean acidification, caused by increased CO₂ absorption, has raised surface acidity by 30%, threatening marine ecosystems, including coral reefs.
For more information, visit NASA’s climate evidence page: NASA Climate Change Evidence.
About the Author
Michael Evans, founder of USPA Nationwide Security, has not only built a global security firm but has been the driving force behind USPA’s quest for zero carbon emissions, launching the initiative in 2022. He facilitated USPA’s recognition as a Platinum Green Company, aligning the firm with the Green Business Benchmark. A passionate advocate for climate action, Evans dedicates his free time to studying the science of climate change, largely inspired by Lawrence M. Krauss’s The Physics of Climate Change, which sparked his deep commitment to environmental sustainability.
Michael Evans
Founder, Strategic Advisor
Email: mevans@uspasecurity.com
Phone: (800) 214-1448
NASA. (n.d.). Climate change: How do we know?. NASA Science. https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/evidence/
United Nations. (n.d.). What is climate change?. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change
