Your Small Business
can also be Sustainable
All businesses – large and small – should take steps to
become sustainable.
By becoming sustainable, large companies will impact the
quality of life on a global scale, while small businesses, even neighborhood
ones, will have a similar impact on the equally important local level.
These are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that
were adopted by the 195 UN member-states to transform our world.
GOAL 1: No
Poverty
GOAL 2: Zero
Hunger
GOAL 3: Good
Health and Well-being
GOAL 4: Quality
Education
GOAL 5: Gender
Equality
GOAL 6: Clean
Water and Sanitation
GOAL 7:
Affordable and Clean Energy
GOAL 8: Decent
Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry,
Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 10: Reduced
Inequality
GOAL 11:
Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 12:
Responsible Consumption and Production
GOAL 13: Climate
Action
GOAL 14: Life below
Water
GOAL 15: Life on
Land
GOAL 16: Peace
and Justice Strong Institutions
GOAL 17: Partnerships
to achieve the Goal
As you can see, being sustainable is not merely being
environmentally friendly and protecting the ecology. There are 17 principles
and picking a favorite one is all your small business needs to do to embark on
the road to sustainability.
Taking a global view, Barron’s recently published its list
of 100 sustainable companies. No. 9 on the list is Clorox, yes, the bleach
manufacturer. Hard to believe?
According to the business publication, Benno Dorer, CEO,
travels to his office via public transit, buys sustainable products, including
his company’s Brita water filters, separates his trash diligently, and teaches
his kids to do the same.
Barron’s noted that for a company best known for a toxic
product, Clorox has become one of America’s greenest companies, publishing
goals on greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, phasing out controversial
substances, and adding lines of natural products like Burt’s Bees.
“As a CEO, I don’t think I can be credible without walking
the walk,” Dorer says. “At the end of the day, the company’s commitment to
sustainability starts with the CEO.”
What is important about Dorer’s observation is that he, as
the CEO, has set the tone for the company’s sustainable evolution. He created a
sustainable corporate culture that trickles down throughout the company
structure, to its branches and offices, and quite conceivably to local
communities. Creating such a culture or image by top management becomes the dynamic
thought leadership that triggers others to follow suit.
There is also a noteworthy payback. Sustainability is mission-critical
to Clorox and the investing world is increasingly agreeing with Dorer’s
public-spirited views.
More US investors are signing the United Nations guidelines or
joining the UN Global Compact that incorporate Environmental, Social and
Governance (ESG) criteria. Paul Smith, chief of the CFA Institute, was quoted
as saying by Barron’s: “Consensus is emerging in many countries that it is
asset managers’ fiduciary duty to incorporate ESG factors into their financial
analysis, especially when material to a company’s long-term prospects.”
Another well-known company, McDonald’s Corp., has embarked
on a quest to boost sales and improve its image by vowing to cut its
greenhouse-gas emissions.
The world’s largest restaurant chain is adding LED lights
and more efficient kitchen equipment, such as grills and fryers, in a bid to
reduce emissions at its restaurants and offices by 36% by the year 2030 from
2015 levels. That is the deadline year set by the UN.
Also, changes to beef production will lower greenhouse gases
from the company’s supply chain by 31%, the fastfood giant said. Its suppliers
are experimenting with new paddock-style grazing practices, in which herds are
rotated across sections of pasture. That allows the land to recover and reduces
gases from cattle.
The company expects that the combined effect will be the
equivalent of taking 32 million cars off the road for a year.
“We believe this will drive growth and drive our business,” Francesca
DeBiase, chief supply chain and sustainability officer, was quoted as saying.
“These are expectations that our customers have.”
The environmental moves follow the goal the restaurant chain
set earlier this year to recycle trash at all of its 37,000 restaurants
globally by 2025. As part of that effort, McDonald’s said it would make some
food packaging more environmentally friendly. It has also pledged to help
protect water supplies, promote animal welfare and preserve forests at cattle
ranches that supply its beef.
In addition to Wall Street support for sustainable
companies, small business can also reap the benefit of boosting their sales
because the all-important millennial age group is keenly interested in
sustainable businesses and is expressing its support for them with their purchases.
While these two examples present the 50,000-foot view, small
businesses can also jump on the sustainability bandwagon.
- As owner, be outspoken in your commitment to sustainability.
- Look how your firm collects and recycles trash.
- Review what you buy and from which companies.
- Check your lighting.
- Urge your vendor and industry partners to follow your example.
- Inspire, sponsor or contribute to sustainable community projects.
- Compel your local officials to become sustainable.
- Spread the word.
Join the conversation in cyberspace about sustainability and its
benefits for your small business. If you have examples of how you’re adopted
the SDGs, let me know. If you need help, reach out to me.
Scroll through my blog to read about more ways to boost your
outreach.
I’d also like to invite you to visit my Thought Leadership
website:
If you’re looking for advice on recruiting, company handbooks and
other human resources topics, I’d like to suggest to you this interesting
website:
