Design & Strategy
Designing and integrating sustainability strategies is an integral step to building your sustainability journey. Understanding how to develop strategies to build on existing CSR programs, advancing past strategies, and creating a foundation for recognized sustainability certification audits will manifest sustainable solutions.
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Identify business opportunities represented by the Global Goals
First, businesses need to identify the various opportunities represented by the Global Goals and visualize their strategy while getting stakeholders on board.
Businesses cannot grow and thrive in societies that fail. Long-term success hinges on the SDGs being realized, meaning businesses need the SDGs and SDGs need business, this dependence is entirely mutual.
Define your priorities and set clear goals and targets.
The ultimate goal for every business should be carbon-positivity or carbon-neutrality. Defining targets and goals provide a clearly-defined pathway for companies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which will help prevent the worst possible impacts of climate change while future-proofing business growth.
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Based on where you or your company stand compared to the possibilities outlined by the SDGs, you can set goals for improvement. Take a look at the SDG indicators to get a clear view of how to set goals with global standards and requirements:
Visualize your carbon-neutral or positive journey
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With less than 7 years of emissions remaining in our world's "carbon budget" before we reach a global warming increase of 1.5°C which would lead to higher risks in health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security, and economic growth.
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Reducing GHG emissions in line with climate science is not only good for the planet but for companies as well. Having science-based and visualized targets will help you stay on track to reach your goals. It means you know what you need to do in the short and medium-term to meet the longer-term vision. Learn more about carbon-neutrality/positivity and offsetting:
Understand stakeholders needs and investment or financing requirements
With customers becoming more aware of environmental concerns, they are more likely to buy from an organization that is known for practicing sustainability.
Morevoer, investment risks presented by Climate Change are set to accelerate a significant reallocation of capital. Many of the world’s top institutional investors see the SDGs as a vital framework to serve the growing demand for impact investments. Understanding how to incorporate customers needs and the significance of impact investments will help design a successful strategy.
Define your environmental and social responsibility policies
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Organizations need to provide their stakeholders with practical and positive solutions for where they can collectively make a difference and acknowledge that there will be changes to it over time.
Having a strong rallying message that illustrates and recognizes the commitment to achieving best practices in environmental and social sustainability is vital. The following should be included in your policy:
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Commitment
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Benchmarking & Performance
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Governance
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Approaches
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Communication & Reporting
Develop an Environmental Management System Framework
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured system or management tool that enables an organisation of any size or type to control the effect of its activities, products or services on the natural environment.
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The system aims to provide a methodical and systematic approach to planning, implementing and reviewing an organisation’s environmental management.
Benchmark, audit, apply for an accredited certification
Benchmarking is an important tool as it provides the organization or user with evidence to recognise, operate, and support a given sustainability initiative or accreditor to achieve sustainability targets. Benchmarking creates a blueprint for stakeholders to know what acceptable and accountable practice looks like.
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Certification sets standards and helps distinguish genuinely sustainable businesses or organizations from others that make claims that cannot be substantiated. This helps to protect the integrity of this process.
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