Sustainability means acting by keeping the balance between the use of natural resources, economic growth and social welfare, taking into account the needs of future generations. The concept of sustainability consists of environmental, economic and social dimensions. The environmental dimension is about protecting natural resources and reducing waste generation. The economic dimension is related to economic growth and profitability of the business. The social dimension is concerned with the interactions of the business with society and its social responsibility.
The United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs) provide an important roadmap for the future of our planet and people. The efforts of governments or non-governmental organizations are not enough to achieve these goals, companies also play an important role. We can summarize the responsibility of organizations in 5 steps:
1-Creating Goals and Strategy:
Organizations can start to adopt sustainability by setting sustainability goals. For example, it can include issues such as reducing environmental impacts, reducing energy consumption, reducing waste generation, reducing water consumption, reducing carbon footprint, using renewable energy sources, and benefiting society. With the determination of goals, businesses can develop strategies to achieve these goals.
2-Creating a Sustainable Culture:
Organization leaders should adopt a sustainability focused culture and reflect this philosophy to all levels of the organization. Leaders can create an environment where employees care about sustainability and responsibilities. In addition, regular training should be provided to the employees. Therefore the training will help the employees to understand sustainability and learn how to apply this to their work. In addition, investments can also be made in social responsibility projects. This will help organizations to engage more with society, contribute to their social responsibility and spread a culture of sustainability.
3-Reducing Resource Usage:
Organizations should operate and make decisions by considering environmental, social, and economic sustainability as integral parts of their sustainable development. This means being at the forefront of sustainable production, energy efficiency, waste management, and renewable energy, while actively working to reduce overall resource consumption.
4-Respecting Human Rights:
Organizations should also ensure that their employees, suppliers and society act in line with their sustainability goals. Businesses must respect human rights and protect workers' rights in their supply chains. It should also fulfill its social responsibilities by cooperating with local communities and creating healthy and safe workplaces.
5-Investment in Innovation and Technology:
Organizations can also contribute to the success of the SDGs by investing in innovation and new technologies. For example, innovations such as the use of sustainable materials, efficient production technologies and renewable energy sources can enable businesses to contribute to sustainability.
As a result, organizations need to consider sustainability in their decision-making, management and implementation processes to achieve sustainable development goals. This step has an important role for the future of both organizations and our planet. The Barrett Value Center prepares a “Sustainability Culture Report” that captures the sustainability status of companies' culture. If you would like support on this matter, we are ready to answer your questions as RNA Change Management.