Blind Leading the Green: A Cautionary Tale

Rosie, brimming with eco-enthusiasm, contacted me last January 2024. A sustainability manager with seemingly endless funds, she craved the most advanced ESG automation tool available. However, true to my nature as a solutions sustainability nurturist, I felt compelled to explore her needs further.

It didn't take long to uncover a critical gap in Rosie's approach. While she readily threw money at technology, her understanding of sustainability itself was surprisingly weak. Building her a $333,000 tool would've been a breeze, but without a strong foundation in sustainability principles, the same issues would likely persist.

From grasping disclosure requirements and stakeholder mapping to mastering double materiality and crafting insightful reports – the potential pitfalls for Rosie were numerous if she rushed into reporting without proper preparation.

Sustainability in Operation Management (SOM) is poised to be a game-changer in sustainability reporting. It's a comprehensive framework that many professionals, like Rosie, often overlook. This experience highlighted a crucial lesson: before diving headfirst into fancy tech or outsourcing compliance, a solid foundation in SOM for you, your team, and your stakeholders is paramount. Investing in SOM education might just be the greenest investment a sustainability professional can make.