In today’s business landscape, sustainability is no longer a buzzword, it’s a fundamental need if you want your company to survive and succeed. But it can be overwhelming to navigate. At SproutWorld, we’ve walked the talk, so now we can share our advice on some of the best initiatives you can join to demonstrate that you really are serious about sustainability.
Get your board on board
Yes, this is the first and most important step. If your board doesn’t understand and support the necessity (and benefits) of improving your company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and wider sustainability goals, then you might as well skip the remaining four steps. Commitment to the cause requires hard work and investment (time and financial) so everyone needs to be aligned. Remember that investing in sustainability is not only good for the planet, it’s also good for your business.
Get B-Corporation certified
How do you prove that your company is on the journey to sustainability, and is committed to maintaining high industry standards? By getting certified. Certification is key to fighting greenwashing. This ensures that you’re not taking shortcuts (don’t be tempted!) or just making superficial statements about sustainability.
B-Corporation certification is globally regarded. Its designation demonstrates your commitment to balancing profit with purpose. B-Corps are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders and this provides credibility and transparency in your sustainability efforts.
Use blockchain technology for accountability
Show you’re serious by holding yourself accountable to objectives and claims. Blockchain technology offers a transparent and immutable ledger system that makes it an ideal tool for tracking and verifying sustainability efforts throughout a supply chain, for example. From tracing the origin of raw materials to ensuring fair labour practices, blockchain enhances accountability and trust, as it cannot be manipulated. This immutability is crucial in today’s era of heightened consumer awareness and disinformation, where stakeholders and customers all demand truth and transparency.
Plant a forest, not just a tree
Planting a few trees and claiming that you’re doing great work for the planet not only risks greenwashing but it undermines any real commitment you thought you had about sustainability.
Whilst tree-planting initiatives in general are certainly praiseworthy, do consider the broader impact of reforestation efforts and see if you can contribute at scale. Therefore, consider planting trees in the thousands and as a result, creating forests. Planting forests involves restoring entire ecosystems which offer biodiversity benefits, carbon sequestration, and enhanced resilience to climate change. This is what helps to create real impact.
You can collaborate with conservation organisations or invest in reforestation projects that align with your business values. For example, last year, we planted 12,000 trees on an idle piece of land in Poland, where our European production is based, not because we had to but because we wanted to give something back. We did it in collaboration with the Polish State Forests, as part of a larger project to reforest Poland.
Pursue net-zero initiatives
Commiting to achieving net-zero emissions is something all companies must do sooner or later, to meet targets set in line with climate change science and thus limit global warming. The important thing is to set a target date so you have something to work towards – when your target is data-based, it’s individual to your company, and so will be the actions you can take to make the most impact.
A great place to start is to sign up to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). They provide a framework to help you set an ambitious but reachable science-based target that aligns your emissions-reduction goals with the scientific consensus on climate change. This should be a big motivator not only for your team but for your business, as your actions can have a positive effect in reductions for your partners and their climate accounting too. In order words, you have the potential to become a more attractive supplier to your business clients and partners. See? Sustainability can be good for business as well as the planet!
By Michael Stausholm, SproutWorld
