Times Are A-Changing.JPG)
You know times are changing when corporate companies have green beer at their formal events. I don't mean that the beer is green, literally, but that the manufacturing process is entirely carbon neutral.
Being carbon neutral means removing as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as you put in, as this greenhouse gas is one of the main contributors to climate change.
At this particular function I attended, not only was the beer 'green', but the catered food was sourced locally from within a 100-kilometre radius of Melbourne's centre. In industry parlance, this translates to fewer “food miles” and therefore reduced transport costs – again, better for the environment.
Climate Change Has Affected Corporate Attitudes
For the past three years, I've written sustainability reports for one of Australia's Top 50 corporate companies (unlike financial or annual reports, companies are not required by law to produce them).
Within this relatively short space of time, the change I've witnessed – not just in company, but also community, government and investor expectations – has been heartening and astonishing.
Scientists the world over have long been warning of the dire consequences of human influence on global warming. The good news is that perceptions are finally shifting as unprecedented weather patterns around the world present us with a picture of what lies ahead if we continue on the path of no action.
In the corporate world, there has been a massive change in attitudes.
A decade or so ago, companies generally regarded sustainability, or corporate social responsibility, as the 'right thing to do' in order to comply with certain regulations and manage business risks. To give a simple example, businesses will face fines or even more severe consequences if their waste products leak into, say, the local creek.
Leaders in sustainability take things a step further by going beyond what is regarded as mandatory. They are willing to experiment and introduce programs that aren't necessarily going to make profits in the short term, but that will lead to long-term benefits – and not just for themselves.
Now more and more businesses understand that sustainability is synonymous with long-term success. It has become a necessary and smart way doing business.
What Is Sustainability?
Most people tie it in with the environment. They may talk about recycling and reducing energy use, improving air quality, protecting wildlife and looking after natural spaces.
One of the most commonly accepted definitions was developed by the Brundtland Commission, set up by the United Nations during the 1980s to address growing concerns about environmental degradation.
The Commission, headed by Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, described sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainability In Action
On the most basic of levels, it means businesses treat their customers well, create a good working culture for their employees, consider their environmental impacts, work with local communities and have good ethical practices in place.
It means they listen and respond to the needs of these different groups over the long term. The best way to explain what this means is by giving several examples from the company I currently work with.
In the past year, we have set up more types of recycling bins at the head office. So now, we don't have any excuses for throwing out paper, or leftover food scraps or tins, glass or plastic.
It means that like many other companies, we were galvanised into financially supporting the people (and wildlife) affected by a devastating series of bushfires across the state early in 2009. The company chipped in with a donation, but individual employees desperate to do more also “passed around a bucket”.
It means that on top of corporate donations to community groups, our employees are also encouraged to volunteer at different events, such as bush and tree plantings, or creek clean-ups.
One volunteer program that I particularly like, for its quirk factor if nothing else, matches several of our managers with unemployed people to coach them to find work.
While there are countless more examples I could give, the point is that while companies can give lip service to sustainability, they need to put things into action.
A Shift In Cultural Consciousness
Sustainability is the way of the present and the way to a better future. There is also growing evidence that shows a sustainable approach creates better value for the bottom dollar as resources are used in a better way and waste is reduced.
It also helps businesses think in a different, more creative way. But again, the question is how do we really make it work across an organisation?
How can the drive for profits be balanced with the desire to contribute to a better world? How can every single staff member, no matter what position they hold, be encouraged to understand what sustainability means and then factor this into the way they work from day to day?
At my particular company, we started off by introducing different sustainability programs and projects – and tracking our progress (and many challenges) year on year.
Now, we've realised that we need to have processes and structures in place to support these actions. So we've started introduced company wide policies and frameworks to strengthen our approach.
This bricks and mortars approach of building from the ground up, step by step, is not particularly sexy or glamorous. It's not the stuff that makes headlines. Nor should it. Because sustainability is about being in it for the long-term.
Now, how about that green beer?