As many organisations continue to push ahead with digital transformation, they must also tackle the next wave of change – sustainability transformation. Organisations not embedding a sustainable strategy at the heart of their business will lose out in the long run.
Society is making strides towards a zero carbon future, but organisations must accelerate sustainability transformation as pressure from stakeholders mounts. There are complexities in identifying and acting on cost-effective sustainability initiatives, but taking the steps below will set organisations on the right path.
• Weave sustainability into the organisation’s core
Sustainability is not often part of people’s day-to-day roles, not written in job descriptions or tracked in performance conversations. Good governance and changes in processes are required to consider sustainability in every aspect of the organisation. By creating a culture in which all employees are emotionally connected, sustainability transformation will filter through the workforce. To keep momentum and inspire, every sustainability accomplishment must be celebrated and made visible.
• Have the courage to drive transformation
It can be hard, even daunting, to engage senior management, but people underestimate how much influence they have. In fact, 80 per cent of projects fail without executive support. Leaders can be brought on board with a clear and compelling vision on the business case for sustainability transformation. Leaders setting the example inspires the rest of the workforce to follow and creates an open space for people to speak up, be heard and bounce ideas off each other. It creates the energy and enthusiasm needed to ensure the success of the project.
• Get finance departments on board
Rules about the deployment of capital must be addressed. Payback periods are sometimes very short and the minimum threshold is high; this doesn’t always align well with sustainability initiatives. The mindset in finance departments must shift. There is a tendency to invest in innovative projects that are often customer-facing, rather than financing changes to the infrastructure of the business. But there is enormous brand value around sustainability.
Organisational transformation is tough, but by empowering and equipping all individuals, organisations can power through this next transformational wave. Reinventing an organisation to be more carbon lean or sustainability friendly is exciting – take advantage of this.