Kickstart your sustainability journey Turning ambitions into action

Sustainability is a journey. Inevitably, there will be challenging decisions, but if we have learned one thing from 2021, there is no time to waste. Matthew Hunt, Leading Professional for Enhancing Society Together and Director of Environmental Consultancy at Royal HaskoningDHV, explains the first steps to take.

I am starting the new year with a sense of cautious optimism. Whatever the outcome of international commitments made at last year’s climate change conference, public and private sector activity on greenhouse gas reduction continues to gain strength and momentum. Real positive changes are being delivered.

The business case for sustainability is compelling and key to an organisation’s long-term future. Action is not only driven by the need for resilience and legislation; pressure for change comes from consumers, competitors, colleagues, and industry-led initiatives - including the Task Forces for Climate and Nature-related Financial Disclosure (FCFD and TNFD ). Investors such as BlackRock’s Larry Fink are leading the charge, and many other organisations and individuals are driving positive changes, which they recognise are the right thing to do.

External pressures and good business sense combine to support collaborative efforts. And much of the technology and approaches needed to support this collective desire for action already exist.

So, what should organisations who recognise the urgency and want to reduce their emissions and positively impact their people, their business, and the environment be doing?

A few simple suggestions to help contribute to 2022 being a year of positive action:

1.????Make a statement and start now

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the environmental and sustainability challenges you face. Don’t let this put you off making a start. Set out your intention to change, and seek simple, low-cost measures that can bring quick results, however small, to start building momentum across your organisation.

2.????Measure

To effect real change, you need to know your baseline position. Without that, you cannot measure the true impact of your actions and track progress. Success builds success, and the data you record will provide the crucial evidence to support further measures and greater investment for actions that have more significant effects.

3.????Create a plan

Establish a roadmap to set out your sustainable objectives, reviewing regularly to keep you ahead of changing legislation and futureproofing your organisation.

4.????Make the business case for sustainable investment

Build certainty into your investment agenda by developing a viable business case for your sustainability ambitions.

5.????De-risk your portfolio

Strengthen your position by removing reputational risks, not only across your organisation but throughout your supply chain. This requires complete consideration of the system you are part of; the value chain upstream and downstream, and the partnerships you have - and can build - to support longer-term changes.?

6. Read on!

For more advice on starting your journey to sustainable operations, look at our recent white papers : How to embrace sustainability and How are FMCG companies paving the way for green investment??

Scientists consistently warn that humanity is running out of time to limit global warming to 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels. According to the United Nations Emissions Gap Report 2021 , current climate pledges and mitigation measures put the world on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century, which would lead to catastrophic changes in the Earth’s climate. We all need to act – and fast.

Join Royal HaskoningDHV in committing to the United Nations Business Ambition to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2030 to reduce destructive impacts of climate change on human society and nature. If you need help, get in touch.

Let us all come together, supporting and accelerating the changes we all need to enhance society now and for future generations.