How can you create a sustainability vision and action plan that is realistic, ambitious, and adaptable?

It is helpful to also include stakeholders in this internal review. Ensuring that every perspective, internally within the company, from HR to IT are included can start to build buy in and alignment with other functions' plans. Opening this up wider to external stakeholders, in your value chain and clients or partner NGOs can also bring other perspectives to the table. And, may give you steer on the importance of certain sections as you move forward with goal setting.

First and foremost, let’s distinguish between business sustainability and ESG reporting frameworks. Sustainability extends far beyond just environmental components and ESG reporting. Sustainability runs throughout the entire business operation. As such, when creating our sustainability vision, we have to start with fundamental blocks of every business – mission and values. A good question to address is: How do our company’s values and mission translate into a sustainability philosophy?

It is very important for organizations who want to implement sustainability or ESG to do a thorough assessment of their system in order to establish a baseline. There are assessment tools that are readily available and it is recommended organizations use them. Just as I mentioned earlier, a baseline must be established before sustainable goals and objectives can be set.

The 4W Framework is a good place to start. 1. WHY - Why are we doing this? To satisfy regulatory requirements? To be able to attract investors? Or do we want to operate in a more sustainable way? 2. WHO - In developing your road map, you must identify your stakeholders and consult them to understand what is of interest - employees, customers, suppliers, investors, regulators and anyone else who can have an impact on your business. 3. WHAT - What key factors do you want to focus on? What factors are material to your business and important to your key stakeholders? What are your targets and metrics? 4. WHERE - Where are you in relation to where you want to be? What are your current practices? Where are the gaps and how can you plug them?

To craft a sustainability vision and action plan that's both pragmatic and daring, start by meticulously assessing our current state. Take a deep dive into our company culture, identifying strengths and areas for growth in sustainability efforts. In this journey, our sustainability startup, OneSave/Week, takes the lead in revolutionizing company cultures towards greater sustainability. Seamlessly integrating with our ethos, it provides practical solutions and insights. With this foundation, we'll forge a path that's both ambitious and adaptable, steering us towards a future where sustainability thrives. Let's embark on this transformative journey together!

At this stage, it’s important to establish a scope of a sustainability program. We all aspire to promote many causes but are limited in time and resources, so we have to establish priorities and limits. List all the sustainability topics that align with corporate mission and values. Next, use a materiality assessment to solicit and prioritize feedback from stakeholders on the importance of those topics. Once core sustainability themes are established, it will add a lot of clarity around the sustainability program boundaries and construct.

A crucial aspect of a realistic and adaptable sustainability vision is the shift from merely avoiding harm to actively doing good. This means not just setting goals for reducing negative impacts but also innovating to create positive environmental and social value. For instance, beyond reducing emissions, consider how your business can contribute to ecosystem restoration or community development. This forward-thinking approach ensures your sustainability plan isn't just about mitigating risks, but also about seizing opportunities to make a tangible, positive difference in the world.

To craft a sustainability vision and action plan that embodies realism, ambition, and adaptability, begin by clearly defining our vision and setting specific, achievable goals. Tailor these goals to align seamlessly with our company culture, ensuring they resonate with every member of our team. In tandem, our cutting-edge sustainability startup, OneSave/Week, emerges as a powerful ally. It not only promotes a more sustainable company culture but also provides the means to measure and track our progress effectively. With this integrated approach, we're poised to create a sustainable future that's both visionary and resilient. Let's stride forward together into this exciting journey!

Derived from the assessment, formulate a sustainability vision harmonizing with your mission, values, and purpose. Ensure the vision is clear, inspiring, and strategically aligned. Support this vision with SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound—that target key impact areas and stakeholders. Goals may include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing renewable energy use, promoting social responsibility, or enhancing diversity and inclusion, providing a roadmap for purposeful and measurable progress.

Após a avalia??o, o resultado deve ser analisado e, à partir dele, definidas as prioridades da empresa em rela??o aos temas que mais fazem sentido, mais abordam sua estratégia e vis?o e servir de start para o início de implementa??es direcionadas.

Creating an action plan requires that we identify the gaps between where we are and where we want to be and then decide what steps to take to plug those gaps. In doing so, one must engage widely and do a lot of listening. People will align behind your plan if thy feel they were consulted and were listened to. Consensus can be difficult to achieve sometimes, but consultation is critical. It can help us become more aware of biases and blindspots

When creating a plan based on core themes, use an attribution analysis to map sustainability themes to various functions in a company. For example, if one of your sustainability program’s key components is “energy efficiency”, document what department and roles have to be involved to materialize it.

To forge a sustainability vision and action plan that embodies realism, ambition, and adaptability, let's delve into creating a robust action plan. Tailor it to fit seamlessly within our company culture, ensuring it becomes second nature to every member of our team. With the invaluable assistance of our innovative sustainability startup, OneSave/Week, we not only promote a more sustainable company culture but also gain the tools to measure and improve our sustainability efforts. This dynamic combination of strategic planning and innovative technology empowers us to make meaningful strides towards a greener, more sustainable future. Let's embark on this transformative journey together!

I will advise that when creating plan, it should be an integrated approach where the balanced scorecard and Sustainability goals are integrated. All the perspectives should contain integrated goals; it will ensure no duplication of plans as all the plans, processes and actions would be streamlined. Before this can happen, there must be an integrated framework defined and established by the organization. Organizations can create what works for them based on their organizational context.

Realizing sustainability goals demands a detailed action plan outlining steps, resources, responsibilities, and timelines for each goal. Incorporate indicators and targets for monitoring and evaluating progress. Tools like the Balanced Scorecard or Logic Model can structure the plan, linking it to the overarching vision. Transparent communication of the action plan to employees, customers, partners, and investors fosters support and feedback, ensuring a collaborative and informed approach to achieving sustainable objectives.

Stakeholder engagement should start at the very first step when conducting a materiality assessment and defining key sustainability topics. Collaboration with stakeholders is an ongoing undertaking that provides diversity of perspectives, transparency, and objectivity to the process.

Sustainability is a collective effort, requiring active engagement with stakeholders for buy-in, collaboration, and accountability. Stakeholders encompass employees, customers, suppliers, investors, regulators, communities, and NGOs. Employ methods like surveys, interviews, focus groups, workshops, or online platforms to consult them on your sustainability vision, goals, and action plan. Involve them in implementation and review, and transparently share successes and challenges. This inclusive approach not only strengthens partnerships but also ensures a holistic and informed sustainability journey.

To craft a sustainability vision and action plan that embodies realism, ambition, and adaptability, it's crucial to engage our stakeholders at every turn. Involve employees, partners, and communities in shaping our sustainability goals, ensuring they resonate with our company culture. Our pioneering sustainability startup, OneSave/Week, plays a pivotal role in this journey. It not only fosters more sustainable company cultures but also provides powerful metrics to measure and enhance our sustainability efforts. Through this collaborative approach, we're poised to make significant strides towards a greener, more sustainable future. Let's embark on this transformative path together!

Stakeholders are key to achieving sustainability goals. The first step is identifying the stakeholders. Stakeholders could be employees, customers, board of directors, financial institutions, regulatory bodies etc. The second step would be determining the needs and expectations of these stakeholders in line with the sustainability goals. The next step after determining their needs would be putting plans in place to meet their needs and expectations. Communication would feature in all of these steps as it is very important. Reviewing the needs at defined intervals is also very important.

Impossível garantir a sustentabilidade da empresa sem a inser??o e participa??o de parceiros. Desde público interno ao externo, os dados obtidos por meio de reuni?es, pesquisas, entrevistas, servirá como direcional do que é esperado da empresa por outra vis?o. Garantir e manter um bom relacionamento com os stakeholders é importante em todas as fases do processo de amadurecimento em sustentabilidade de uma empresa.

Chances are that many of the components of your sustainability program will be subject for regulations. It’s important to stay up to date with all the regulatory requirements to ensure those are integrated into the construct of the program.

To craft a sustainability vision and action plan that embodies realism, ambition, and adaptability, let's prioritize the ability to adapt to change. Seamlessly integrate this principle into our company culture, recognizing that flexibility is key in our sustainability journey. Leveraging our innovative sustainability startup, OneSave/Week, a user-friendly and playful tool, we not only enhance company cultures but also measure their sustainability efforts. By embracing adaptability, we ensure our approach remains relevant and effective in the face of evolving challenges and opportunities. Together, let's embark on this dynamic path towards a greener, more sustainable future!

Sustainability is a dynamic process, demanding continuous learning and improvement. Flexibility and adaptability are essential in response to changing circumstances—market trends, customer demands, technological innovations, or regulatory requirements. Embrace feedback and innovation to enhance sustainability performance. Utilize tools like the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle or SWOT analysis for regular reviews and updates to your sustainability vision, goals, and action plan. This iterative approach ensures relevance, resilience, and ongoing progress in your sustainability journey.

Assim como outras áreas, a sustentabilidade requer acompanhamento de tendências e atualiza??o constante de mudan?as que ocorrem a todo tempo nos temas primordiais, que sofrem influências políticas, de geolocaliza??o e climáticas. Isso faz com que exista uma demanda de revis?o de estratégias e cria??o de novas a??es nos planos de a??o sempre que necessário.

I highly recommend checking out Chief Sustainability Officers at Work: How CSOs Build Successful Sustainability and ESG Strategies by Chrissa Pagitsas. This book represents a compilation of interviews with CSOs from leading companies, sharing their stories of building a sustainability program. Learning from industry leaders and peer is a great way to build your skillset.

A melhor forma de aprender sobre sustentabilidade é botar a m?o na massa, mas para garantir implementa??es adequadas e coerência em suas a??es nada melhor que consultar os relatórios de sustentabilidade de empresas do mesmo setor, conversar com especialistas de empresas consideradas referência no tema e buscar mentorias.

Simply conduct a materiality assessment. Know what matters to you and your stakeholders. From there, you craft your vision and action plan tailored to material sustainability issues.