Is Sustainability in Business Simple? Let Me Show You!

First and foremost, what do I mean by ‘Sustainability’ when talking about the environment? The concept of sustainability covers three characteristics. These are;

1.      Profitability – Surprised? Well, without this, a business cannot run and that still applies to a Sustainability Programme.

2.      Environment – How does the business carry out its activities whilst minimising its impact on the natural world?

3.      Social – People are the true drivers of any organisation. Looking after your people, whether employees or along your supply chain ensures future resilience.

There’s no question that developing a Sustainability Culture is the way forward for business. It’s something that more and more commercially minded individuals are realising.

The Paybacks Speak for Themselves.

The evidence is out there. It makes commercial sense to look after the environment and the people who use it – that’s your workforce, your clients and all the other stakeholders in your organisation. Here’s some basic example of how sustainability works for your business.

~ Whether you call it reducing your carbon footprint or reducing your utility costs, the positive effect on bottom line is measurable. Changing to LED lighting and motion sensors is just a start with and average payback period of around 13 months.

 ~ Environmental legislation is often overlooked. Becoming compliant with the law, for example, regarding waste can prevent nasty fines and reputational damage. A massive 67% of businesses are breaking the law around waste, 97% of those are SMEs.

~ An engaged workforce means less sickness days and lower staff turnover. The evidence from gathered from 200 papers is published by Harvard Business Review categorically proving this.

Is it Simple?

Download my free e-Book; ‘Seven Simple Steps to A Sustainability Culture’ to find out how to get started.

The truth is, that becoming sustainable is like any other thing you do in business.

·        To do it well, you need to commit to it as a value. This commitment means acknowledging that embedding sustainability into your organisation’s culture will not happen overnight. There will be some quick wins to get you started and you can use these to motivate a deeper-routed change.

·        To do it well, you need to bring the people around you in on the ride. Developing a Sustainability Culture means that everyone includes environmental decisions within their everyday activities. The process of engagement is key to making it a success.

·        To do it well, you need to provide time and a budget to allow it to happen. That’s part of the commitment. Without providing these fundamental resources, how can you expect to succeed?

So, the answer to the question ‘is it simple?’ is both yes and no. By chunking it down into manageable steps, the process can be simply. If you’re want instantaneous long term results, perhaps you could review your expectations.

See for yourself whether it’s simple - Download my free e-Book called ‘Seven Simple Steps to A Sustainability Culture’

If you’d like to find out more, let’s set up a half-hour online coffee;

Call or email me on (0113) 289 2208, [email protected]