Start Your Sustainability Plan

March 04, 2009

It’s not uncommon these days to see sustainability defined as the next big disruptive force poised to transform modern business. Even now, issues such as climate change, limited resources, and increased regulations/costs/liabilities with regard to hazardous chemicals are nudging their way towards the top of the corporate agenda. But, is your company taking steps to prepare for “disruptive” change? If not, what are some of the key areas that you should be considering?

Last week, eWeek.com published an article that can help get you moving in the green direction. In “How to Start Your Company’s Green Sustainability Effort,” Brandi McManus, who is the Global Business Development Manager, Energy at TAC , does a nice job laying out the questions you need to be asking.

“Forward-looking business professionals are doing more than changing light bulbs,” she writes. “They are asking profound and important questions such as ‘How will the environment disrupt my business and industry?’ and ‘What are the threats to my business in the coming changes?’ and ‘What are the opportunities in the coming changes?’ In other words, companies are trying to see around the environmental corner, so to speak, to position themselves to win big and do the right thing for the planet.”

McManus then goes on to offer four steps for creating a sustainability platform at your company. She advises that you:

Assign responsibility.

Be prepared to act.

Measure performance.

Be prepared to change.

Considering that CSR issues impact virtually all aspects of the supplier chain, I would add that it makes sense to apply these steps both inside and outside the four walls of your organization. A comprehensive sustainability plan is one that focuses on a wide range of initiatives, including programs designed to target today’s rapidly-evolving and complex global supply chains. Remember, most of a company’s carbon footprint is embedded in its supply chain, so that’s a critically important place to direct initial efforts in any climate mitigation strategy.