How to create a culture of sustainability in your business

A summary of the blog

• Get to know your supply chain and its suppliers to minimise your risk exposure.
• Be prepared for ESG reporting, including the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the IFRS S1 and S2.
• Don’t fall into the trap of “green hushing”. Share your business’s sustainable journey as much as possible with the world. Talent, investors and clients expect transparency.
• Remove barriers for employees to be more sustainable by giving them nudges to make greener choices and try to foster an environment that encourages them to do so. 
• Create a communication and engagement strategy to ensure your people are informed, motivated and inspired to make a change and take ownership. They need to be a part of the journey.  

Creating a culture of sustainability is on most agendas right now. But where do you start?

Read our blog to uncover five ways to unite your sustainability and business goals this year.

Given mounting pressure from internal and external stakeholders, an increasingly complex regulatory environment, and general disruptions to traditional business models, there is no question that sustainability should be top of mind for all businesses.

But how can a business remain profitable and sustainable while developing a happy and engaged culture?

Here are five things that might be worth your attention right now:

5 things you should be thinking about when it comes to sustainability and business

1. Increase your supply chain transparency

Whether it’s gearing up for calculating your scope three emissions or mitigating risks for human rights violations, the more you know your suppliers, and your supplier suppliers, the better the visibility of your risk exposure.

Building strong relationships with your suppliers is key to understanding the impact across your value chain.

2. Be prepared for ESG reporting

In the last year, two important regulatory frameworks have been announced that will allow investors and other stakeholders to compare like-for-like thanks to unified disclosures of financials, sustainability performance, and related risks.

Make sure you and your organisation are up to speed on the latest when it comes to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, from the EU, and the IFRS S1 and IFRS S2.

3. Share what you can, when you can

There is no doubt that in a world of cancel culture, companies are acutely aware of the risk of greenwashing.

However, there is also growing concern around “green hushing”, a trend in which companies are opting out of sharing their climate targets.

The risk of not sharing your science-based targets, and your progress towards those targets, might damage your brand for external stakeholders and your employer brand for current employees and future talent.

Companies are facing mounting pressure to be part of the solution, not the problem, and this is increasingly influencing where top talent is choosing to engage.

4. Bridge the say-do gap

While most people believe in the importance of doing something to mitigate their impact on the environment, this doesn’t always translate to behaviours that reflect that belief.

This factor is just as relevant for consumers as it is for employees, and often the responsibility is placed too heavily on the individual rather than considering the context in which behaviour choices are being made.

Organisations, and more importantly, the leaders of organisations, need to foster an environment that supports a choice architecture that nudges employees to make sustainable choices in their day-to-day activities consistently. Remove barriers and make it easy for your employees to further your climate goals.

5. Leverage your greatest resource

When it comes to communicating your sustainability vision, targets, and actions, don’t forget to bring your people along on the journey.

Employees are not only a critical extension of your marketing efforts as natural ambassadors of your brand, but also the people who will help execute the strategies necessary to meet your targets.

Make sure you have a communication and engagement strategy in place to ensure they are informed, motivated and inspired to drive change, take ownership, and help you innovate when it comes to transitioning to better sustainable practices.

Need a hand creating a culture of sustainability?

When it comes to business and sustainability, getting started is one of the biggest challenges. At McCann Synergy, we can show you how to prepare your business for the necessary changes, from an ethical standpoint to educating your people.

Visit our website for more details or get in touch to find out more.