The growing impact of business activities on the natural and business environments is increasingly gaining the attention of sustainability practitioners around the globe.
While several organizations claim to align with sustainable business practices, only a few actually do or are in the process of adopting sustainability.
Sustainable business practices are premised on the drive for sustainability using the triple-bottom-line approach to analyze organizational performance in terms of their impact on People, Profit, and the Planet.
Not only do the business organizations stand to benefit from adopting environmentally friendly business processes, but it also creates value-adding opportunities for customers, investors, and the environment.
Below are a few tips on getting your organization on the path of adopting sustainable business processes.
• Realign the Business Objectives: The move for sustainability must be incorporated into the organizational goals and business strategies.
This will enable the management team to communicate and adhere to their commitment to a sustainable business when policies or decisions are being deliberated on.
• Engage Your Employees: Employees are not left out in the process as they are the drivers for policy implementation in the organization.
They should be communicated with on the new organizational goal for sustainability and their feedback and opinions should be encouraged to enable effective integration of policies across all business functions.
• Conservation of Resources: Consumables such as water and electricity should be used in an efficient manner.
Simple actions like reducing the flow pressure on water faucets and switching off lights or idle equipment go a long way in promoting a culture of resource conservation.
• Reuse Reduce Recycle: Also known as the 3Rs of waste management. It shows a hierarchy to follow when reaching a decision to trash an item.
You could either reduce the quantity used to avoid waste or underutilization of the item, look for alternative uses for the item, or recycle the item through existing avenues that engage in the same.
• Transition to using Energy Efficient Equipment: Organizations can gradually transition into using electronic gadgets and equipment that ensure a higher level of energy efficiency in the business process.
• Establish Work Policies on Sustainability: While the transition into sustainable business practices may take a while for the entire organization system to embrace, it is essential to have sustainability policies and procedures that reinforce the moves and increase compliance levels among employees.
