Sustainability can provide competitive advantage when introduced and managed with genuine intent to making a difference. However business leaders are facing an uphill battle to embed sustainable thinking.
Why? Mainly because the topic is so vast it’s difficult to establish the right knowledge base within your organisation and the dedicated time to develop a sustainability strategy.
There is no one size fits all approach
At Shape Tomorrow we advise our clients to consider moving at a pace that doesn’t negatively impact business as usual, while achieving small simple wins at the beginning to gain stakeholder buy-in.
Reviewing the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) are our recommended first step in aligning your vision and strategy. The 17 global goals were developed by the United Nations General Assembly to achieve a better and more sustainable future for us all. What is important to remember is that each will resonate in different sectors, and align to different values, which allows businesses to choose which are the best fit for your organisation i.e. you don’t have to build a strategy that encapsulates all 17!
Who are your impact teams?
In a nutshell, EVERYONE! At Shape Tomorrow we are big fans of internal ‘Champions’ e.g. Wellbeing Champions and Green Champions, they are the most effective way of getting messages out to the wider business, act as the feet on the ground to cement change and most importantly provide constant feedback. You are almost guaranteed to achieve a passionate and dedicated champion team if you ask for volunteers from any area within the business.
From a strategic perspective every head of department will have a role in embedding sustainable thinking within their team. From energy reductions led by the IT team, to internal travel policies implemented by HR, the level of engagement is paramount to achieving the desired output.
Get in touch for more information on how the Shape Tomorrow team can support strategy design, deliver bespoke training programmes and roadmap your sustainability journey.