In recent years, “sustainability” evolved from being a trendy buzzword to a fundamental necessity for businesses in every sector. This shift is driven by growing environmental challenges and changing consumer expectations, as people increasingly prioritize eco-conscious practices. The translation industry, like many others, is beginning to recognize that adopting sustainable practices is not just an option but a responsibility.  

As organizations look for ways to reduce their environmental impact, sustainable strategies are becoming integral to long-term success. 

Understanding Sustainability in Translation 

Sustainability refers to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. It’s a concept often associated with environmental preservation, but it also encompasses economic and social responsibility. In practice, sustainability is about making conscious decisions that benefit not only businesses but the planet as well. 

For companies in the translation industry (as well as other major industries like pharmaceuticals), adopting sustainability involves making operational changes to reduce carbon footprints and conserve resources.  

• Embrace remote work. By allowing employees to work from home, translation companies can significantly reduce the environmental impact caused by daily commuting. In fact, a remote workforce also minimizes the need for large office spaces, which can contribute to lower energy consumption. 

• Reduce paper usage. Translation companies can transition to fully digital operations by using email, online portals, and cloud-based platforms for all communications and document sharing. Not only does this streamline the translation process, but it also cuts down on paper waste and the energy involved in physical mail handling. 

• Use cloud-based tools. With these tools, teams can collaborate across borders without the need for travel. The ability to store, access, and work on documents simultaneously through the cloud reduces the need for physical meetings, saving both time and energy while limiting carbon emissions.  

• Find the right partners. Translation companies should also seek out technology providers actively pursuing environmentally friendly practices. This helps ensure that the entire workflow remains as eco-conscious as possible. By partnering with eco-friendly suppliers, translation companies can reinforce their commitment to sustainability. Whether it’s choosing green-certified office supplies or engaging with vendors who prioritize eco-conscious production, each step contributes to an overall sustainable business model. 

Despite these efforts, the translation industry faces specific challenges in sustainability. For instance, document analysis, linguistic adaptation, and machine translation all require considerable energy. Each step in this process can leave an environmental footprint. To address these challenges, companies can look for ways to optimize their processes to minimize energy consumption while still maintaining high-quality services. 

Terra’s Commitment to Sustainability 

At Terra, we have been committed to sustainability since our inception. From the beginning, we’ve operated 100% remotely, which has contributed to significant reductions in carbon emissions. By eliminating the need for a physical office, we’ve minimized energy consumption and created a more flexible, eco-friendly workspace. 

Our paperless operations further support our sustainability goals. All translations are delivered digitally via email or secure portals, reducing waste and helping us maintain a sustainable workflow. While a small number of our team members may travel occasionally for conferences or business meetings, we are mindful of the environmental impact of these activities. To offset the carbon footprint from travel, we’ve engaged in initiatives like forestation, which helps balance the emissions generated by these necessary activities. 

Through our Terra Cares program, we are also supporting initiatives like Sustentabilidad sin Fronteras by providing pro bono translation services. This allows important environmental materials to reach multilingual audiences, reinforcing our dedication to both sustainability and social responsibility. 

Looking Forward 

At Terra, sustainability has always been a guiding principle. As the need for environmental responsibility becomes more pressing across all sectors, we believe that the translation industry should lead by example. By embracing sustainable practices and encouraging others to do the same, we can create a better world and leave a lasting, positive impact on both our industry and the environment. 

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One step Terra is taking towards climate compensation is to make conscious contributions to projects that capture greenhouse gases at a level equivalent to the emissions we cause. 

The Motivation 

At first, our focus was on internal communications to raise awareness within our team, which consisted of recommendations for the conscious use of energy and resources. Additionally, as part of the Terra Cares program, we reached out to Sustentabilidad Sin Fronteras, a non-profit environmental association, and translated their website and their annual report. 

This year, we wanted to take it a little further. We were interested in taking actions that would have a positive environmental impact and looked at environmental protection non-profits that would help us in our mission to compensate Terra’s carbon footprint. Before we knew it, the project was right in front of us, and we hadn’t seen it. We knew that we wanted to support an initiative that would help us move the needle with climate change. Daniel Ilari, the father of our CEO, Marina Ilari, happened to be working on an eco park project called “Vida libre” in Venado Tuerto, Argentina, her hometown. His work inspired us to do something in collaboration with that project. 

What is the “Vida libre” Eco Park Project?  

It is a private initiative led by Daniel. He is an agricultural engineer and he had this idea for a long time, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that he actively started working on it. This is a massive project that will be executed on a piece of land that has 60 hectares and will be divided into four main areas—a recreational area, a production area, a nature reserve, and a small forest. The hope is for this park to become a great spot for a family outing, where kids can play, walk on pathways, and get an overlook of the place from watchtowers. 

Honoring our Roots 

It was exciting to collaborate on a project of high environmental impact in the city where Terra was born. Beatriz Cirera founded the company in this beautiful city and dreamed about growing the family business there.  

According to the estimates calculated during the first semester of this year, we needed to plant 550 trees to compensate for our carbon footprint. As serendipity would have it, after scheduling and rescheduling the planting several times due to weather conditions, the activity finally took place on International Translation Day, September 30. Local volunteers planted a total of 518 trees and we have plans to continue working on this project. The trees are now between six and eight inches tall, in 12 years, we will start to see a young forest.  

This project had a substantial impact on Daniel. “It means a lot and it is truly beautiful, because I know what this will pass on to my children,” Daniel said, “I’m 64 years old, and these trees will have grown in 12 years. Matías and Marcos, my two sons, have been helping me for a long time. We have planted willows and some canes in the entrance to the park. We are able to have the entire area wooded with various trees thanks to Marina’s collaboration.” 

Marina, is very eager to visit the site in the future, “I have not had the chance to go back to my hometown in many years, so it would be extra special to see Terra’s contribution to the area!” 

In the future, we plan to participate every year in a project that has a positive environmental impact and we’re already considering different options for 2024.

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