Why is Sustainability not One-Size-Fits-All?
Updated: Nov 4, 2018
No two businesses in the world are exactly the same. That's hundreds of millions of unique businesses, each one different from the other. Different industries, different customers, different locations, different staff, different offerings... there are so many points of variance.
With this in mind, every business' strategy is going to be a little different. That includes a business' sustainability strategy.
There are some excellent guides online to point businesses in the right direction; however a successful sustainability strategy requires a tailored approach based on a number of factors.
Industry
Each industry has different industry-specific sustainability accreditations and ratings. It is important to familiarise yourself with these before looking at what you can do to start your journey towards sustainability.
Location
Location has a large influence on your sustainability commitment. If you are an SME operating in a remote location, adhering to the community involvement aspect of your sustainability commitment as your business will be largely reliant on the local community. Your location may also mean you are eligible for certain grants from the government and other businesses when it comes to sustainability.
Customer / Client Base
No two businesses have the same customer and / or client base, which means no two businesses' responses to their customer and / or client base's values will be the same. It is crucial for businesses to adapt their sustainability strategy based on their client base.
Staff
The demographics of a business' staff heavily influences a business' sustainability strategy. A team of younger people who don't have families may be more likely to have time to donate to volunteering on weeknights / weekends. A team of staff members with families will most likely have prior familial commitments. Understanding your team's values and commitments is incredibly important to ensuring you are planning your sustainability strategy accordingly.
Products / Services
Depending on your products and services, your sustainability strategy may need to be tailored accordingly.
Business Process
Your business process, including use of utilities, your supply chain, your production chain and the delivery of your products and services also impacts your sustainability strategy, especially when it comes to the environmental side of your sustainability strategy.
For businesses starting their journey towards sustainability, it is important to research as thoroughly as possible to ensure you are maximising your efforts. At Strategic Sustainability Consultants, we pride ourselves on taking this work off your hands and calling on our team of experts to ensure you have a well-developed sustainability strategy, which is custom designed to fit your business and all its requirements. Contact us today to get started!
This article was originally published on the Strategic Sustainability Consultants website.