How Sustainability Can Help You to Attract Better Business, Clients and Candidates
In our previous blog, we discussed the importance of sustainability being at the top of your business agenda, along with carbon neutrality and sustainable operations. With so many companies either already achieving carbon neutrality, or putting a plan in place to do so by 2030, there is very little room left for organisations who are yet to get on board.
With sustainability being such a crucial part of business plans, regardless of industry or the size of your company, there are a variety of questions business owners are starting to ask.
How can businesses be more sustainable?
There is no one straight answer for how a business can be more sustainable overall. Depending on the sector your business operates in, and the practices you already have in place, it will take some analysis of your current company procedures to determine where improvements need to be made.
For example:
Assess your carbon footprint - there are numerous ways to assess your carbon footprint, and the simplest place to start would be to use a carbon footprint calculator online to see where you can improve. In addition, take a look at your energy provider - does this need to be updated or changed? Is your business using too much electricity or water? Do you provide recycling in your office? Start with the basics, and you can make changes to the finer details as you go along.
Minimise travel - a key factor when assessing your carbon footprint in a bid to make your business more sustainable is to look at how much travel your business generates. This could include everything from business flights and employee commutes, to the volume of product delivery your company offers its customers. Where possible, this needs to be cut down significantly - speak to your courier about how to make deliveries more sustainable, and offer your employees a remote working option or cycle to work scheme.
Update your packaging - does your business sell a product that requires packaging? If so, speak to your suppliers about eco-friendly options. Cut back on single-use plastic packaging where possible and invest in a biodegradable alternative. Although this may be an added expense to begin with, over time consumers are likely to opt for the greener companies over the businesses who package their products in anything damaging to the environment.
Donate - does your company donate to a charity or an organisation as part of your CSR strategy? If so, consider a sustainable option. Research environmental groups in your local area that you feel strongly about. If there aren’t any in your local area, there are countless national and international organisations you could consider, such as Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance and WWF.
Is sustainability better for business?
In short - yes. Although sustainability is a very broad term and covers numerous facets, the overall impact of being more sustainable and environmentally friendly is better for business in both the short and long term.
The most obvious reason for this is that sustainable operations demonstrate that your business cares more about just making a profit. Showing your employees, clients and customers that you are an eco-conscious organisation positions your company as relatable and ethical, as opposed to a money-making machine.
In “The Ecology of Commerce”, Paul Hawken wrote, “sustainability is one of the most certain paths to innovation for companies seeking a competitive edge.” Ultimately, ensuring that your business is sustainable is going to put you ahead of those who do not prioritise being carbon-neutral, as more people continue to turn their backs on companies that don’t care about the damage they are contributing to.
Does sustainability help organisations attract better clients, candidates and employees?
Sustainability is now a focal point of many job advertisements, CSR web pages and news articles from businesses in almost every sector imaginable. Why? Because companies are realising that not only is being more sustainable the right thing to do, but it also helps to attract clients, candidates and employees.
The Yale Center for Business and the Environment conducted a survey of more than 3,700 students, finding that 44% of respondents were willing to accept a lower salary to work for a business with better environmental practices. Furthermore, about one-fifth of the students also stated that they were unwilling to work for organisations with bad environmental practices, no matter what the salary.
This is the perfect example of how current and potential employees, candidates and clients will be viewing your business. In reality, consumers don’t want to choose between sustainability and accessibility - and understandably so. In a perfect world, all organisations would offer products or services that are entirely environmentally-friendly, as well as easy and convenient. However, if your company is open about efforts being made to be more sustainable and conscious of your carbon footprint, you will see more employees, candidates and clients mention this being a selling point for them.