One of the more common criticisms of corporate sustainability efforts is that companies make plenty of high-level sustainability claims on their website and in their corporate presentations, yet offer very few tangible examples of actions supporting those claims. Of course this is not always the case; many companies are well down the sustainability path. And even when the observation is correct, it is not necessarily a calculated strategy of deception. It may well be simply a management team with a genuine desire to make their operations more sustainable but who are both overwhelmed by the scope of the task at hand and unsure where to begin.
I came across a helpful article today in Forbes which provides some suggestions on actionable initiatives for companies looking for some logical first steps. While the author is in the textiles business (where it is estimated that 87% of textiles end up in landfills, even though over 90% are reusable or recyclable), the suggestions are applicable to businesses in any industry and of any size. I found them to be logical and straightforward.
If you want to move your company along in its sustainability journey, the suggestions in this article are worth your consideration. My preferred approach with clients is to work with them to craft a customized Sustainability Strategy, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with beginning with some common-sense initiatives to get the ball rolling.
It’s important to share your company’s sustainability aspirations with your many stakeholders. They do care, and they want you to speak to it. But they also want to see you act on it. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.