What the heck is sustainability?
October 10, 2006
Posted by: Barb Haig 04:19 PM
When asked to develop a series of employee training modules on sustainability, I jumped at the chance. Teaching people how to save energy and water, recycle, develop a green supply chain and be aware of environmental quality are skills that people can use every day both at work and at home.
But the biggest challenge was coming up with a definition of sustainability that people could relate to.
Sustainability is one of those things that people seem to love – or love to hate. It’s one of those, “I know what it is when I see it, but I can’t explain it.” They embrace it, which is evident in the growing number of companies that issue sustainability reports each year. Or they despise it – thinking it’s just another business fad or treehugger fantasy.
So how do you explain sustainability to people so they get it?
Of course I started with the classic 1987 United Nations Brundtland Report, which defines sustainable development as one that "meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."
Interesting, but a little esoteric. I’m writing for a business/government audience, so I felt it necessary to add a little practicality.
I turned to the phrase, “triple bottom line,” which was developed by John Elkington in his 1998 book Cannibals with Forks: the Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business. According to him, triple bottom line accounting means expanding the traditional company reporting framework to take into account environmental and social performance in addition to financial performance.
Elkington also coined the phrase, People, Profit, Planet to align with the triple bottom line. I love a little alliteration, but it also seemed a little too folksy.
Sustainability is somewhat akin to how Business for Social Responsibility defines corporate social responsibility: "operating a business in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of business. Social Responsibility is a guiding principle for every decision made and in every area of a business."
That’s on the mark for a business audience, but to be honest, it’s a mouthful. If someone in an elevator started talking about, “ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations…” the person next to him might start looking at the buttons for a means of escape.
A step further is the Dow Jones Sustainability Index which says corporate sustainability “is a business approach that creates long-term shareholder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks deriving from economic, environmental and social developments.”
That really intrigued me. Looking for economic, environment and social opportunities – and keeping an eye out for the risks in those areas.
The risks that businesses and individuals need to consider could include high energy prices, climate change and health problems caused by poor indoor and outdoor air quality. The benefits include saving on energy bills, healthier communities and better worker productivity.
So with all that knowledge, I have developed this definition:
Sustainability involves practicing social, financial and environmental strategies that address risks and opportunities and contribute to an organization’s long-term success.
It’s still not perfect, but at least it gives people an idea that success is the goal we’re all after. And by educating their employees and communicating these benefits, businesses and organizations can spread the word to customers, suppliers, regulators, the financial community and others.
Beyond employees, perhaps the key audience to communicate this to is the news media, since according to one study, the media is the only steady source of environmental information for adults. And that’s not going to be an easy job.
The syndicated radio show Marketplace is the only media outlet I’ve seen that has a “Sustainability” beat. Funded by the Tides Foundation, it focuses on “covering sustainability and the economy, including environmental, economic, technological, cultural and other factors influencing the future of humanity. Coverage will be aimed at helping the public better understand global realities that affect domestic and international economies and cultures.”
If we can get the workplace and the media to understand what sustainability is and why it is so important, we’ll have a much easier time explaining what really can be done – the strategies that will help them find success.
