The word sustainability is often thrown around quite liberally in the business world. While most firms touch on sustainability somewhere on their website, relatively few truly embrace sustainability in a genuine and way. Because of this, the general public has become increasingly sceptical of businesses that proclaim sustainability and want to know more about the actions a brand is taking to promote sustainability. With this information, the public is then able to determine if a firm is genuinely a champion of sustainability or if they are merely hoping to capitalise on the goodwill that sustainability often brings.
Sustainability is not just good for business; it is good for the planet and our global community. While we often think it is only possible for massive organisations (such as governments and multinational charities) to effect meaningful change, there is increasing interest from the public to see businesses act in ways that can promote positive global changes. This demand is made to firms of all sizes and can have a particularly positive impact even when carried out by small entrepreneurial firms. Local firms often know what is most beneficial to solve local problems, and when local problems get solved, global problems are solved. With this in mind, I wanted to discuss some key ways you can build meaningful sustainability practices into your brand and organisation that will benefit both your business and the global community.
Environmental Sustainability
The environment is often the very first thing people think of when you mention sustainability. Due to this, having a clear environmental sustainability goal is the first step in showing your customers you take sustainability seriously. There are two tiers you can consider when applying sustainability to your business. The first tier is what many customers would consider a “baseline” of sustainability. That is where you are using LED lights at your facilities, low impact packaging, and working to minimise your carbon footprint. This will not impress the majority of your customers and is viewed by most as the “bare minimum”. The second tier is where you go out of your way to execute your business functions using more sustainable resources and support restorative environmental work. Examples of this could be making deliveries in electric vehicles or packaging your product in a non-plastic paper alternative (such as bagasse). Additionally, having a focused environmental mission around issues such as ocean restoration or old growth forest protection can showcase your commitment to sustainability as a brand.
One of the incredibly important aspects of this environmental sustainability work is that it must be genuine. Look for causes that align with your communities’ values and support a part of the environment that lines up with your business. With this overarching mission for environmental sustainability, you can make a visible impact on the health of our planet while simultaneously improving your brand image.
Community Building
Ultimately, business is all about people, and your brand needs to show you are supporting people in a genuine way. While this certainly includes your customers, it is critical to remember that this also includes your employees and the communities you operate in. Showing your brand treats people in an equitable way is not only the right thing to do but also increasingly important to customers. By emphasising principles of stakeholder capitalism, such as fair pay, fair trade, and inclusive practices in your mission statement, customers will see how this is important for your business. With that said, simply stating this is not enough anymore, and customers expect to receive updates on how you are improving the lives of individuals your firm interacts with. This can be best accomplished by giving employees paid days off to volunteer with an organisation they are passionate about in the community or by organising fundraisers for various non-profit organisations to be held at your facility.
Businesses have the unique opportunity to make a structural difference in the world due to their organisational power and economic importance. This customer demand for businesses to promote sustainability applies to all firms, both large and small, regardless of the industry they operate in. You are able to make a difference regardless of where you sit in your organisation, and by implementing more sustainable practices, your brand (and business at large) will see incredible benefits.
Bright Orca is a creator-focused eco-friendly notebook company emphasising the importance of sustainability in business based in Vancouver, Canada. Specialising in executive notebooks made with sugarcane paper, you can organise, strategise, and succeed in your life and business. By providing the tools and information creators need to build a sustainable business, we support creators in making a positive impact on the global community.
