Sustainability programmes for companies
Developing in a sustainable way is profitable, jobs have been and will be created and, most importantly, there is a gradual annual increase in the number of companies worldwide that endorse their sustainability plans with Company B standards and/or the UN Global Compact.
This article is based on answering the question: As a company leader, do I have the capacity to operate the business integrating the economic, environmental and social dimensions? It is a feasible challenge that is embodied in the business vision and is accompanied by a medium or long-term plan to gradually achieve goals until the new purpose is operationalised in the business processes. The strategy lies in creating a green or social business line that generates the income to support the sustainability programme.
As in other areas, learning is facilitated by the advice of specialists. Today, socio-environmental business services are accessible to any size of company. Sometimes the environmental aspect of a business has a large field of work if one considers the life cycle of the product or service offered, as well as its impacts in terms of waste generation, water pollution and emission of polluting gases. From a social perspective, a formal business must consider complying with human rights and labour standards that are basic to any organisation.
Once the board and the executive management align the vision, with the advice of specialists, a sustainability policy is created and then the process of operationalising the new philosophy continues, and for this, we quote E. Freya Williams and her book "Green Giants" who indicates that a socio-environmental purpose must be integrated into the business in the following five structures:
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Corporate.
Organisational.
Cost.
Incentives.
Reporting.
Once the above has been implemented in the company under a monthly sustainability plan for at least one year, the author cited in the previous point suggests building a marketing campaign around what people want, need and desire, and thus demonstrating that the sustainability model delivers the benefits people want. This allows casting a much wider net to position sustainable products and services to customers.
It is essential to develop a communication strategy because a change of corporate culture is sought internally, and externally to promote the offer of services and products with extended producer responsibility in the market.
Today we can say that our clients have recovered the investment made in the programme in question, as well as having generated environmental and social benefits for the nearby community. Awareness is urgent, intergenerational collaboration is mandatory and order is a way to achieve what seems impossible, until it is achieved.
