What are some ways to align partnerships with environmental goals?

Aligning partnerships with environmental goals involves selecting collaborators and partners who prioritize sustainability in their vision - operations, sourcing, and supply chains. This may entail partnering and collaborating with organizations committed to green procurement practices, carbon offsetting initiatives, and the development of eco-friendly products and services. Joint efforts can be directed towards implementing sustainable supply chain practices, reducing waste, and advocating for environmental policies. By working together towards common environmental objectives, partnerships can amplify their impact and contribute significantly to creating a more sustainable world. Thus we can align partnerships with environmental goals.

Aligning partnerships with environmental goals is crucial for sustainable business practices. Clearly communicate shared objectives, integrating eco-friendly initiatives into collaborations. Prioritize partners with similar sustainability values, embedding environmental criteria in selection processes. Foster transparent communication on progress and challenges. Conduct joint environmental impact assessments, identifying improvement areas. Encourage resource-efficient practices and pursue eco-certifications. Regularly update agreements to align with evolving sustainability standards. By prioritizing environmental values, partnerships can play a pivotal role in fostering a greener, more sustainable future.

We should first define the objectives, before looking into suitable partners. Objectives can be environmentally focused, business (sales) focused with environmental side objectives, supply chain focused with environmental side objectives, etc. In any industry, companies do not move at the same pace, so being clear with your overall objective allows you to research the probable candidates that may make better partners within the industry. You probably are not able to find "THE ONE" partner, so do plan to partner more widely to see which ones can run more in alignment with your company's pace.

In my experience defining the goals of a partnership in the initial stages is critical to the partnerships success. Simply sharing a similar ethos or vision isn’t enough to guide partnerships, they need clearly defined and measurable goals. If suitable goals and milestones can’t be agreed, it is best to discover this early. Similarly, defining goals and achieving them will create momentum and greater success for the partnership.

In sharing objectives, you need to respect and accommodate a certain level of difference. You'll rarely (if ever) meet an 'identical twin' style partner so going in with a mindset of empathy will really help.

In all partnership work, get a senior sponsor. If there is insufficient belief at the senior level in the value of partnership, it's likely to be a difficult journey, or maybe a journey that's doomed to failure. Start with a sponsor, and build a working group that will be able to describe the benefits of partnering, with members in all stakeholder groups (within your company). Get the objectives, tasks, and project plan worked out for sign-off, with a review cadence built in. Once you have an internally signed-off partnership plan, you work on getting potential partners. Do the same as internal to get to a joint plan. With potential partners, you do the same. Build a working group helmed by senior members in both organisations. Build

Listen. Then listen some more. Then when you've finished listening, listen further. The more people tell you about their priorities, the more you can match them. If it's not for you, you can still leave the table but at least you know to some depth what your potential partner is looking for.

Effectively involving stakeholders in environmental goals requires a comprehensive approach that acknowledges the diverse interests and concerns of each group involved. From customers expecting eco-friendly products to employees advocating for sustainable workplace practices, organizations must tailor their strategies to address these varied needs. This involves transparent communication channels, collaborative problem-solving with stakeholders, and active consideration of their feedback. By fostering meaningful engagement and demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, organizations can build stronger relationships with stakeholders and pave the way for long-term success in achieving environmental objectives.

Build on previous success, but think about breaking the mould. Innovate your route to partnerships. Be the first to collaborate differently, create a game-changing partnership that paves the way for others. Keep site of your environmental goals, and think beyond the obvious. ‘Imagine if’… reframe the obvious and reach for a new solution. Bring your business, stakeholders, customers and public with you on the journey by demonstrating and reassuring them of the great outcomes as a result of the partnership. Each partnership we do we consider every aspect of the business, the cost to deliver vs. the cost to leave the partnership outcomes on the table.

This is the time to get experimental - but you're going to need to build trust to take people with you! Even if the external partner is keen, not everyone in your organisation will rationally understand or emotionally connect with where you're going. Some of my most successful partnerships were very nontraditional but difficult to get over the line with internal management. Do the hard graft of building the business case and winning incremental decision-maker trust rather than asking for too much too soon.

Key to this is understand you are going to get some level of critical feedback. Did anyone ever conduct an experiment and not receive 'negativity' from those who don't usually lead experiments and can't relate to that process? No. Because the purpose of an experiment is to find out what DOES work as well as what doesn't! So don't be put off by early 'negative' feedback. Put it in a framework so management/stakeholders can see you've acknowledged it - but don't be discouraged or held back: Move the good parts forward energetically while diligently taking on board what to avoid.

Regardless of the type of partnership and the objectives being sales, marketing, environment, and social goodness, partnership cadence must be planned with reviews between both partnering entities. In addition, as time goes by, the company's direction or strategy may change. Periodic review gives everyone a chance to decide if the partnership is going well, still worth it to push forward or to call it quits as the situation has changed. Ensure sufficient representation from stakeholders on both sides to attend the review. Have the sponsors of the highest level on both sides attend to give it sufficient importance.

A great way of celebrating a partnership in an environmental way is going on an environmental activity together - It can also be great for marketing assets. Imagine a well-branded beach-clean by 2 companies, with the participants wearing a specially designed t-shirt. "X and Y for the beaches 2024"