Sustainability / The Business Case

Environmentally and socially conscious decision-making in the board room is no longer contrary to financial considerations.  Sustainability makes good strategic and practical economic business sense for a number of reasons:

• Improve efficiencies in energy and natural resource use that contribute to substantial cost savings.
• Promote a corporate culture of innovation with intellectually empowered, engaged employees that seek opportunities to improve environmental and social performance because….it is simply the ’right thing to do’.  The continuous improvement mentality will proliferate into streamlining all aspects of your business.
• Enhance the confidence of investors, business partners, customers and employees in your company by taking the lead in these matters.
• Differentiate your brand from the crowded marketplace of competitors; give ‘satisfied’ customers a reason to become ‘loyal’ customers.
• Respond to changes and manage business risks associated with imminent climate-related regulation; anticipate, plan and benefit from these evolving developments.

According to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, “Leading sustainability companies display high levels of competence in addressing global and industry challenges in a variety of areas”:

• Strategy: Integrating long-term economic, environmental and social aspects in their business strategies while maintaining global competitiveness and brand reputation.
• Financial: Meeting shareholders' demands for sound financial returns, long-term economic growth, open communication and transparent financial accounting.
• Customer & Product: Fostering loyalty by investing in customer relationship management and product and service innovation that focuses on technologies and systems, which use financial, natural and social resources in an efficient, effective and economic manner over the long-term.
• Governance and Stakeholder: Setting the highest standards of corporate governance and stakeholder engagement, including corporate codes of conduct and public reporting.
• Human: Managing human resources to maintain workforce capabilities and employee satisfaction through best-in-class organizational learning and knowledge management practices and remuneration and benefit programs.

For further information about the business case for embracing sustainabilty, click here.