Integrating sustainability in business: a step by step guide

Sustainability is in its “integration” era. The imperative to embed sustainability within the business – to truly desilo our efforts – has become an undeniable drumbeat in every corner of the business world. The message is clear: sustainability is a core strategic imperative and an investment in a better future, not a side project or a cost center.

This urgency is significantly amplified by the current U.S. administration (Trump 2.0: bringing you the 'science? never heard of her,' world tour). Organizations are now grappling with a heightened sense of responsibility, facing not only the fundamental question of what sustainable actions to take, but also the complex challenge of how to effectively implement them in this evolving landscape.

I’ve dedicated my over decade-long career to making sustainability accessible through the power of communications. So I pulled together this step-by-step guide to offer clear, actionable sustainability integration guidance for any business level.

THE FOUNDATIONS

• Know your business’ “why” - Taking your definition of sustainability out of the picture, get reconnected with your current business mission and strategy - your “why.”

• Define your business’ sustainability priorities - Understand your key sustainability priorities and where you can best contribute to a better world through internal and external stakeholder feedback. In other words, conduct a materiality assessment, namely a double materiality, where a company must consider both its impact on the environment and society. This includes how sustainability issues affect an organization's financial performance.

• Benchmark against industry peers and competitors - Understand your industry landscape by benchmarking against peers and competitors. This is vital for your overall business strategy which sustainability should be a part of, helping to prevent greenwashing.

  
  

These foundational elements will give you a foothold to launch a business strategy with integrated sustainability, including a sustainability strategy and commitments. 

THE COMMUNICATIONS

Craft sustainability messaging that:

• Ladders up to your mission and sustainability priorities

• Is aligned with cross-functional teams across your organization, especially those responsible for aspects of your sustainability strategy

• Ensures proof-points and evidences can back up every claim

• Doesn’t oversell or undersell where you are

• Partner with marketing and communications to integrate sustainability into a communications strategy across targeted channels:

  • Ensure you KPIs and measures of success

  • Tailor marketing messages to various audiences. Pssst! A guide for this step can be found here.

    

    Get the guide on tailoring your sustainability marketing

THE ONGOING JOURNEY OF SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS

• Have a plan in place to measure, adapt, refine - Completing a strategy is not a one and done. Regularly evaluate performance and incorporate lessons learned from post-mortems to evolve your positioning and approach.

At the end of the day, sustainability can and will evolve. And when you’re overwhelmed, referring to your business’ mission as a guiding light is key. Your sustainability journey is not about saving the planet in every aspect possible, it’s about identifying how your unique offerings and expertise can accelerate sustainable outcomes for a better future.