How is Sustainability the Responsibility of More than Just the Executive or the Sustainability Team?

Many believe sustainability programs should be left in the hands of either the executive or the sustainability team within an organisation. However, in order to see economic, social and environmental sustainability truly achieved within an organisation, it is vital that all team members are on board.

With corporate social responsibility beginning to be phased out and organisations with core values around economic, social and environmental sustainability gaining more stride, employees are understanding that sustainability cannot just be an after-thought when it comes to business; it must be at the forefront of all organisations’ agendas.

78% of employees report that they want to play an active role in helping the company for which they work in achieving corporate sustainability goals. Increasingly, employees are looking for organisations to give them a sense of purpose in their work. By engaging your entire team in sustainability practices within your organisation, you will be increasing staff morale among your employees. An increase in staff morale can lead to a productivity increase of up to 22%.

You will also be attracting the right people to your organisation with 58% of employees reporting that they take into consider an organisation’s commitment to sustainability when deciding whether or not to take a job with a particular company.

In practical terms, a full team commitment to sustainability means that sustainability practices outlined in your organisation’s sustainability commitment are far easier to implement. For example, if your marketing team is on board with your organisational vision of economic, social and environmental sustainability, this will be more naturally incorporated into branding and marketing, conveying a more unified message across the board.

A full team commitment to sustainability also means that some of the smaller in-house goals are easier to achieve. For example, a company with a commitment to printing less or no paper will find these goals easier to achieve if employees take them seriously and are genuinely on board with the mission.

If you are looking for ways to engage employees who are not already engaged with your sustainability commitment, read our five tips to align your employees with purpose!

If you are looking to develop a plan to incorporate your whole team in your business’ commitment to economic, social and environmental sustainability, contact us today for further information!

This article was originally published on the Strategic Sustainability Consultants website.