How can YOU lead sustainability as an executive manager?

Its very important to speak the language of your audience. Employees who are more worried about the loans they have and their bonuses, will never connect on your sustainability issues unless you talk to them in terms of climate change impacts on how their daily life may be impacted on ( For example). Similarly to the investors, a CBA, CEA, Materiality assessment would be much impactful to discuss. Unfortunately when you try to mix up things, the culture will never be achieved and you will never achieve your goals towards different stakeholders.

Showing commitment by elevating sustainability KPis to parity with financial metrics. Supporting this by acquiring talent with a firm grasp of the interconnected "triple transition" – economic, social, and environmental transformations – is crucial. Fostering a culture of connected thinking is paramount. Sustainability isn't siloed; it's interwoven with every aspect of our business. Breaking down departmental walls and encouraging cross-functional collaboration is essential.

As an executive manager, one can lead sustainability by integrating environmentally responsible practices into all aspects of the organization's operations, fostering a culture of sustainability and promoting innovation for a greener future- not an easy task but doable over a reasonable timeline.

For some organisations it’s readjusting the vision and goals to one that is more sustainable. Perhaps where you are is not where you want to be and sustainability is the breakthrough to that change. A executive sustainability leader is one that can create change for better for the planet, people and the bottom line

Much could be shared on this topic but some thoughts include: Aligning the vision of a business to reflect corporate sustainability begins with identifying a purpose driven statement that is carried across the business and throughout the entire supply chain conscious and proactive at addressing the lowest common denominator achieving net zero. Reflecting these values in every process and driving objectives through a strong robust methodology that is consistent with ESG best practices and nurturing a culture of change and accountability.

In my view, it is critical for businesses to have a centralized sustainability team to coordinate their work on these issues. My experience also demonstrates that organizations do not require huge central teams to properly implement their sustainability goals. While many businesses begin their sustainability transformations by allocating more central resources to these issues, I have also seen that having a smaller central team and more dedicated resources in the business lines that execute the detailed planning and implementation of sustainability can be most effective.

Another key consideration is the value of a well established eco-system of partners and suppliers to support your full turn-key approach.