Becoming a sustainable business

Becoming a truly sustainable enterprise is a long process with the final aim of eliminating negative impacts on the environment and its inhabitants.

The challenge in this process is to adopt a long-term focus to achieve positive social change. Every business needs to make an enduring commitment to “green” principles considering not just the wealth and engagement of its own employees, but also local communities and customers. To reach this goal, a structured and well-developed approach is required.

With this in mind, some leaders from sustainable businesses have created a list of what they believe are the 10 main initiatives required to create and maintain a sustainable future (see in links below). Others consider becoming truly sustainable is the result of six steps. Regardless the number of steps and their differences, importantly the unavoidable fact that is that becoming sustainable requires a business commitment to a series of tactical steps within a well-planned strategy. These tactical steps create a sustainability continuum that goes from embracing change v- reflected in better and more integrated public policies – to creating value propositions that have to be shared by every stakeholder through a real ‘people commitment’. Such commitment also needs to be reinforced with an ongoing two-way dialogue on responsible consumption between organisations and consumers.

The next section expands on our discussion of the stages of sustainability.

Activity

Read ‘Ivey Business Journal, Ten steps to sustainable business in 2013’

Now make a recommendation to Amazing Fashion on how they could take the next step to move them along in their sustainability journey.

Post your idea in the Comments area below.