How do you make sustainability a core part of your business?

1 Assess your impact

The first step to making sustainability a core part of your business is to assess your current impact on the environment, society, and economy. This means measuring and reporting on your carbon footprint, water use, waste generation, social responsibility, and ethical practices. You can use tools and frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), or the B Impact Assessment to help you collect and analyze data. By assessing your impact, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses, set goals and targets, and benchmark your performance against your peers and best practices.

2 Align with your purpose

The second step to making sustainability a core part of your business is to align it with your purpose and vision. Sustainability should not be seen as a separate or optional agenda, but as an integral part of your mission and values. You should communicate clearly and consistently why sustainability matters to your business, how it supports your core competencies and competitive advantages, and how it creates value for your stakeholders. You should also involve your employees, customers, suppliers, investors, and communities in your sustainability journey, and solicit their feedback and input.

3 Innovate for sustainability

The third step to making sustainability a core part of your business is to innovate for sustainability. This means developing new products, services, processes, and business models that address environmental and social challenges, reduce your negative impacts, and enhance your positive impacts. You can use tools and methods such as design thinking, circular economy, biomimicry, or social innovation to help you generate and test ideas. By innovating for sustainability, you can create new opportunities for growth, differentiation, and customer loyalty.

4 Embed in your operations

The fourth step to making sustainability a core part of your business is to embed it in your operations. This means implementing policies, practices, and systems that support your sustainability goals and targets, and monitor and improve your performance. You can use tools and standards such as ISO 14001, LEED, or B Corp certification to help you manage and verify your environmental and social impacts. You can also train and empower your employees, suppliers, and partners to adopt sustainable behaviors and practices.

5 Communicate your story

The fifth step to making sustainability a core part of your business is to communicate your story. This means sharing your sustainability vision, strategy, actions, and results with your stakeholders, and engaging them in a dialogue. You can use tools and channels such as sustainability reports, websites, social media, newsletters, events, or awards to showcase your achievements and challenges, and demonstrate your credibility and transparency. You can also use storytelling techniques such as narratives, visuals, or testimonials to make your story more compelling and relatable.