Sustainability may still be in its infancy in absolute terms, but the move towards building ethically sound businesses has steadily gained momentum for last many years. Protecting the brand values, producing environmentally responsible products, carbon neutrality and social responsibilities are the new challenges for the board members. Many of these values have now embedded within the DNA of many business organisations. In their recent research carried out by edie.net, Sustainable Business magazine and Temple Group in the UK found that almost seven in 10 businesses (69%) consider sustainability to be a priority business driver for success in 2012, 40% of those see it as a high priority, i.e. at the core of their business strategy.
The rapid increases in sustainability into corporate culture obviously tell something. First of all, corporation’s survival at stake if they do not imbed these above mentioned values within their overall mission and vision. Secondly, it is logical to do so while businesses are facing increased environmental challenges, trying to achieve things that can make a difference to their businesses environmental performances as well as productivity, efficiency and profits. Very simple examples can be given from a world leading manufacturer of copiers and office automations. This company has recently developed a programme called ‘sustainability optimisation programme’ - an immediate and measurable results in five steps e.g. analyse, design, implement, govern & neutralise, in which customers are able to become carbon neutral across their document management services.
The manufacturer in this case has not stopped just to sale the machine hardware (used to be in old days); instead it developed an innovative way to reduce customer’s (In-Use phase) negative environmental impacts. Benefits have been immense for both the manufacturer and customers. Manufacturer has received more new orders, re-boosted their completive advantage, increased green image, inter alia winning the top prize in “the EFQM Sustainability Good Practice Competition” in 2011. On the customer side, benefits have not been unnoticed. Customers managed to save costs by saving hard copy papers, energy and waste; in particular, they have also raised their green credentials - a win-win situation for all the parties involved.
For the same manufacturer, similar situation exist in the other aspects of development of new copiers and printers for example, technological innovation in energy savings (i.e. quick start-up technology that shorten warm-up time, ultra-thin shell-fusing roller that achieves quick warm up of fusing roller, two separately controlled heaters that achieve equal warm up of fusing roller, tin-free low temperature fixing eco toner etc.), bio-mass toner, bio-mass plastic parts, automatic green reporting (i.e. an analysis of customer’s ‘as-is’ energy usage and carbon emissions from the products and paper used). This kind of smart and small changes always help to create value. All these cutting edge technological innovations reflect company’s willingness to grow, staying ahead of the competition, while doing so, the company has also considered environmental impacts from their products, de facto help them moving towards a more sustainable (in economic terms) and environmentally benign future.
One of the biggest changes that has happened over the past two decades within the larger manufactures that is a holistic approach in thinking and planning all the way from digging the raw-materials from the earth to manufacture the products, distribution, selling and disposing the waste. Every step of the process touches the very core of three pillars of sustainability - economic, social and environmental aspects. Similar changes have happened also within the service sector organisations. They are very keenly following their economic, social and environmental performances of doing their business. They are also part of overall sustainability package.
The strategies to achieve sustainable business outcome is to secure first the brand integrity, transparency and authenticity. It would be easier and cost-effective for those businesses that have already received considerable attention for many years as an ethical business that has environmental good practices and social obligations within their overall corporate strategy. I am not suggesting that the new sustainability practitioners will have hard time – not quiet, they will immediately be picked up by the customers, then the business organisation can further strengthen their brand reputation by engaging more on social and environmental obligations and the effect could be even stronger.
I touched upon technological innovations in the above discussion. Businesses need to drive the green technological innovations (i.e. sustainability through green innovation), which would touch the fundamentals of sustainable business practices with the aim of reduced waste, innovative manufacturing processes that would require less water and energy, minimising greenhouse gas emissions, using more recycled and alternative materials to manufacture the same products. Also, it is important to encourage the entire supply chain as well as their customers to drive the green technological innovation to achieve similar benefits. By doing this, it is possible to bring everyone on-board within the sustainability obligations.
Sustainability does not mean that it is all about minimising CO2 emissions. It is in fact a tiny part of the whole sustainability dynamism. As our society is facing increasingly negative impacts of global warming from the green house effects, therefore minimising the CO2 has now become a usual norm. Sustainability dynamism is obviously much bigger than this. It’s not only saving water, energy, wise and careful use of resources or eating organic foods, but also, social policies related to the employees and the communities (particularly where the business organisations operate) are equally important as driving the green technological innovation or any other aspects of business growth.
Social policies such as equal opportunity and diversity, appropriate laws against discrimination, action against forced labour, health and safety, work-life balance, right pension scheme, freedom of association and collective bargaining, possibilities of internal promotion for the employees are also very important. Likewise, policies related to the communities such as human rights, job opportunity, children and adult education, infrastructure development, health safety and environmental protection and biodiversity conservation etc. are immensely important in achieving sustainability goals. They are two sides of the same coin and part and parcel of the value creating corporate social responsibility where business contributes to the social concerns and at the same time contribute to their business growth.
Larger business organisations are perhaps one of the biggest sectors in our society, employing millions of people and many cases operating almost every country in the world. It is possible to achieve near sustainability point if every business organisation and their employees do their part. A collective approach within the business sector could bring our society closer to a sustainable future that we all wish for.
