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Sustainability. Increasingly, this word is thrown around by governments, customers, and the general public. We all want to be sustainable. And, our customers want to be viewed as taking a strong stand to encourage sustainable business practices. While all agree the drive towards sustainability is a good thing, what exactly is it? Perhaps the best definition can be found in Ecology of Commerce, widely perceived as the definitive book on sustainability. In his book, Paul Hawken offers the following:
"…an economic state where the demands placed upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for future generations"
- Leave the world better than you found it
- Take no more than you need
- Try not to harm life or the environment, make amends if you do
US EPA offers the following on sustainability: Sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people. Achieving sustainable solutions calls for stewardship, with everyone taking responsibility for solving the problems of today and tomorrow—individuals, communities, businesses, and governments are all stewards of the environment.
Between the two definitions, similarities emerge. The adoption of sustainable practices includes economic growth, environmental management, and social equity. These principles can be difficult to implement across a corporate structure. And, the evidence is in—sustainability skills afford you the ability to increase sales, maintain a strong employee base, reduce environmental costs and risks associated with the process, and help you become part of the solution, not the problem.
Take a moment to visit the websites of your major customers to see how they are positioning themselves. Major retailers have launched initiatives designed to educate the public as to steps they are taking to incorporate the three major principles into their business practices. Now, take a look at your own practices. Consideration and responsibility for these three issues is a growing trend. To participate in the global marketplace, responsibility for environmental and social impacts through demonstration of responsible behavior has become the norm, not the exception. Any sustainability strategy must meet the needs of the company's fiscal requirements. It has been proven that sustainability can deliver business benefits. Each company needs to determine the fit with overall corporate strategies.
When developing a plan, there is no one size fits all approach. Each company has different goals and objectives. You serve different markets, and create different products. One must begin to integrate these elements into the organization's decision making process. To implement them as an afterthought defeats the purpose. To successfully integrate sustainability into your business model, you need to begin considering sustainable development principles into each and every business decision.
Economic drivers are quite possibly the most difficult concept to grasp. In "To Whose Profit? Building a Case for Sustainability," the emphasis is put on value creation. "When developing a business case for improved ethical, environmental or social performance, it is helpful to put proposed actions within their wider context, and to examine the opportunities to create value. It is not always possible to demonstrate a direct statistical link with financial performance, as the benefits may be intangible or indirect." The report continues to advise facility managers to focus on opportunities to create value.
A growing body of evidence suggests that integrating sustainable principles into business practices does lead to generation of business benefits. There is no one study that irrefutably links cause and effect. Anecdotal evidence suggests that events that require huge remediation costs and fines may call into question the quality of company management, thereby eroding confidence. It is a well documented fact that Exxon Corporation suffered as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. While maybe not in the same league, think of the possible damage that could occur if a chemical explosion occurs at an imaging facility.
And this leads us to the final element—social equity or societal relationships. For this, a facility needs to look at its stakeholders both inside and outside the company. Society expects companies to be accountable for both their environmental and social impacts. They expect companies to accept responsibility and take actions where needed. People's expectations of work are also changing. While the ultimate deciding factor is still financial; many are considering the company's values when joining an organization.
Corporate customers respond to consumer pressures. Consumers' balance their buying decisions against a personal set of ethics and values. The implications for this trend are especially significant for the retail and service markets as they face direct customer interaction on a daily basis. As a result, the logical step for the corporations is to extend their principles and value systems to those within their supply chain. Imaging facilities are beginning to react to these requests, but often not in an organized fashion. Typically, the supply chain relationship targets environmental performance requirements, and there are tools that can assist a facility—specifically implementation of an Environmental Management System or EMS.
Implementing an EMS allows a facility to begin its journey towards integration of sustainable business practices. The system provides a framework for identifying gaps; identification of key aspects; and tools to help you rank and identify possible solutions. The tools force one to look beyond the fence line to determine how to reduce the environmental footprint while remaining economically viable. It the next step towards becoming a strong corporate citizen and making a difference in today's world.
Marci Kinter, SGIA's vice president for government & business information, represents the specialty imaging community, and its associated supplier base, before federal and state regulatory agencies and the US Congress on environmental, safety and other issues that directly impact the industry. For more information, please visit www.sgia.org.
author: BY MARCI KINTER