In EI’s blog series on sustainability in business, the latest article, “Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) Involvement is the Key to Sustainability Success,” discussed the significant contribution of SMEs to carbon emissions via their supply chain for large corporations. When compared to the larger FORTUNE 1000 clients they support, one would logically assume that reducing carbon emissions for SMEs would be much simpler and more straightforward given their limited geographic footprint, shorter supply chains, reduced work-related travel and smaller office/workspaces to heat/cool and light.

The headlines surrounding zero carbon emissions have been dominated by some of our largest brands, with the majority of recent progress coming from global corporations looking to reduce CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency. Much of the initial emission reduction progress by large businesses is due to pressure they are facing from their shareholders and the general public. As a result, the majority of the support, guidelines and incentives available for the development of sustainable programs and for reporting emissions reduction, have been developed for large companies and do not cater to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

In recent years market drivers have played a more pivotal role in convincing management to embrace a corporate sustainable culture. In fact, even without new regulations or legal requirements, 90% of major US companies published a sustainability report in 2019, up from 20% in 2011. Sustainability has become a means of gaining market visibility and differentiation. This shift in business is about drivers in the marketplace and not regulation. Sustainability efforts at your facility may be driven by the requirements of multi-national companies with headquarters in Europe or possibly the requirements of customers within your global supply chain.

Once you have demonstrated to corporate management that sustainability is an investment and the program has potential to become an integral part of workplace culture, this traction can be used to secure a long term philosophical and financial commitment from corporate management. 

Convincing employees and management to embrace corporate cultural change is certainly nothing new. One needs to look no farther than the successful business models which promote occupational safety, aimed at lowering workplace accidents! A successful occupational safety program requires a cultural change and encourages participation among the entire workforce. Just like safety, promoting a sustainable culture at work is simply good business and yields a significant, long-term ROI.

Once the workforce has been recruited for the challenge, your sustainability program is ready for the next step: building sustainability into your company’s brand! It is well documented that sustainability sells. 66% of all consumers indicate they would pay a premium for a product if it came from a sustainable brand, with 70% of millennials having a similar view. More significant, 90% of CEOs feel that sustainable brands are key to success in business.

Engaging employee stakeholders is critical to galvanizing corporate sustainability culture and the key driver for a long-term successful sustainability program. Eliciting employees to own corporate sustainability transform them into sustainability advocates by leveraging the actions of the entire workforce, which provide them an avenue to contribute to the future well-being of the company/society and become part of the larger, global sustainability movement.

Developing a comprehensive sustainability program from the “ground up” can be an overwhelming task, requiring long term planning and the establishment of major milestones. Why not begin with some obvious and easy wins, with an eye towards engaging employees?

Sustainability is all the buzz – from recycling at Starbucks and organic cotton at Macy’s, to the recent boon in farmer’s markets and community shared agriculture -messaging around improved environmental responsibility has become mainstream.