Here are our top six tips for getting started with your company's sustainability efforts. Sustainability is more relevant than ever, but it can be a challenge to know where to start. Before you get started, it's important to keep in mind that sustainability is usually described in three dimensions - ecological, social and economic. All three are equally important and need to work together.
Anna Torsgården, Sustainability Strategist at Dalarna Science Park, shares her top tips to help your business on its way.
1. time
Set aside time for sustainability work. Gather information from your key stakeholders and inspiration from others in the same industry. Look at the sustainability reports of large companies. Reach out to your most important and/or biggest customers (or maybe the customers you don't have but would like to have) and ask them what they think is important in terms of sustainability.
2. Impact
Identify positive and negative impacts. Identify where you have your greatest impact and what opportunities you have to influence. Also consider how you can maximize positive impacts and minimize negative impacts. One way to visualize a company's impact in terms of sustainability is to map out the entire value chain and look at where the biggest impacts are and where you have influence.
3. Prioritize
Start small and let it grow. Don't overdo it at the beginning so that it feels overwhelming, prioritize. Prioritize and start with the areas where your company can make the biggest difference. Start with some of the goals and targets in the 2030 Agenda, but make sure to cover all three parts: environmental, social and economic.
4. transparency
Being transparent, i.e. showing what you do well, but also being honest about the challenges you face. Actually being aware of them and acting for improvements is something that is becoming more common and appreciated by many.
5. Involve
Gather the employees and involve everyone in the sustainability work. It is important that the whole company is on board.
6. goals
Dare to set ambitious goals and a vision of what the company wants to achieve with your sustainability work. Follow up sustainability work regularly and integrate it as a natural part of other activities.
Do you want to move forward with your sustainability work? We are happy to be your sounding board and you are welcome to contact and book a meeting with us.
