Following what was discussed in the previous article “Uruguay 2030, will be a Sustainability World Cup”, now we will focus on a possible path to start the journey, of no return, of sustainability.
What is sustainability in companies?
Sustainability in the company is the set of actions that the company carries out to maintain its economic activity, taking into account social and environmental factors and all this through responsible management of resources. Business sustainability is a way of managing the organization’s resources to make them more efficient (for the company, the environment and society).
What steps should companies take to achieve Sustainability?
Those companies that incorporate sustainability as part of the business strategy obtain a competitive advantage and this leads to greater consumer support. The steps for a company to implement it could be summarized as follows:
Materiality analysis: process that makes it possible to identify the most relevant issues for the company and prioritize them, at the same time as they impact on stakeholders and on the business model.
Company diagnosis: evaluate the starting conditions in terms of sustainability, identify risks, opportunities for improvement and innovation. This initial evaluation gives the opportunity to develop a project route in the medium and long term, as well as to establish objectives clearly. Here the interested parties or stakeholder are determined. At this stage, it is recommended as a reference the successful practices of other companies in the same segment in relation to sustainability and adapt them to the reality of the company to incorporate into the action plan.
Mark objectives: One aspect that the experts point out is the delimitation of specific objectives, which must be realistic, specific, measurable and limited in time.
Sustainability Strategy: set of actions to be implemented by companies to ensure that their activity does not have a negative environmental, economic and social impact. This must be adequate and be aligned with the mission and vision of the company. You need to set the tone for meeting the goals. The sustainability strategy analyzes the needs of customers and seeks to redefine the way to provide their goods and services to obtain a sustainable economic benefit, acting with social responsibility and reducing environmental impacts.
Act in sustainability: it is the guiding point, which calls to action. In this instance, it is necessary to start carrying out concrete activities to integrate sustainability into the heart of the organization. Such as, for example, establishing inclusion policies for LGTBIQ+ people, reducing the use of plastic, incorporating recycling practices or developing policies on the supply chain.
Monitor results: It is necessary to evaluate the performance obtained through sustainability indicators, these work as a tool with which the success of a company’s strategies can be measured.
Corporate sustainability indicators They are divided into 3 categories of sustainability indicators: environmental, social and institutional.
Report and communicate progress: Finally, from the Global Compact they highlight the importance of preparing a sustainability report: it is a communicative exercise that complements the management process.
As we already mentioned, business sustainability is the efforts that a company makes to sustain its economic activity, considering social and environmental factors, and making its management a responsible action with resources.
By way of example, day-to-day activities and actions can be carried out taking into account social, economic and environmental criteria that ensure the continuity and success of the business.
Use local resources. Use the advantages and resources of the territory in which the company’s activity is carried out, as well as make purchases from local or nearby suppliers to save on transport and pollute less.
3Rs: reduce, recycle and reuse. It is important that companies seek to reduce the input of elements and reuse those that have already entered the business economy at some time.
Promote sustainability within the office. Promote good sustainable practices in the daily life of the company’s professionals. Starting from placing recycling containers, to facilitating reusable bottles or utensils.
Make employees aware of caring for the environment. Apply sustainability in the business culture through awareness campaigns for staff. Here internal communication must have an active participation.
Encourage the use of public transport. Trying to give employees the option of getting to the workplace by public transport will contribute to caring for the environment by reducing CO2 emissions.
Management and saving of resources. Apply policies to reuse resources or reduce the amounts generated. Promote actions that reduce energy consumption (turn off equipment and lights when not in use, adjust the temperature of air conditioners, make the most of sunlight).
Prioritize digital tools. Minimize the consumption of paper and make use of the digital tools that we have available today. On necessary occasions, use recycled paper.
Sustainability is here to stay, it is present and future. And, therefore, sustainable companies will be the companies of the future. Society (the consumer) is increasingly demanding and aware of the need to protect the environment in which we live, so every organization should walk in the same direction.
Today the main barriers to entering markets are not tariffs, but are for tariffs, and the barriers related to sustainability will be higher every time.
Sustainability provides credibility, trust and a good reputation, also positively influencing the people who work in it.
