Sustainablility: Do it. Report it. Save the World.
Published in Branding, Business by Wünderwoman / 3 Comments
Well, the shift is complete. Sustainability has officially shifted from buzzworthy trend to shape-shifting megatrend.
But what does this mean?
According to a May article in the Harvard Business Review, companies who choose not to make sustainability a priority risk missing a corporate megatrend equivalent of the information technology revolution.
That’s a freakin’ BIG deal.
American Public Media’s Kai Ryssdal recently interviewed Dan Esty about the importance of corporate sustainability in a recent NPR Marketplace segment (Click here to listen to it).
Esty notes that sustainable business strategies are a key component of future success and that those that don’t get it right risk failure.
Unfortunately, many companies are working without a strategic plan to develop initiatives that align with the broader strategies of the company.
If you’re one of those companies…don’t worry…start reading!
Dan Esty’s May Harvard Business Review article, The Sustainability Imperative, co-authored by David A Lubin, is a great place to begin. It draws in-depth parallels with other familiar megatrends and provides valuable insight on implementing sustainability strategies.
If you’re the type that learns by seeing things in action, check out the Qualcomm 2009 Corporate Sustainability report. Sustainability has always been an integral part of Qualcomm’s business model. They’re an industry leader in monitoring, measuring and reporting their environmental initiatives.
Think about it this way: when one company can save 17.8 million gallons of water in a year, you begin to see the impact that sustainability can have on the world.
***Fuelhaus designed the online and pdf versions of the Qualcomm Sustainability Report mentioned in this blog post.
Bill Backus
Wow – 17.8 million gallons of water in a year – that’s amazing. I really liked this short and simple blog that talks about sustainability. Sometimes I feel that key decision makers within organizations need to start looking outside the dollar sign and start looking at the world we ALL share. We mention to our clients all the time – “Asking the question, What are we doing to reduce our carbon foot print is the wrong question. Instead you should ask yourself, What are we doing to be more impactful in our sustainable initiatives?”
When they can answer that question we can start strategizing with them.
Anyhow – I love what you guys are doing – keep up the awesome work
Anonymous
Nice and neccessary report…..
Thank you for sharing…
Wünderwoman
Thanks Bill…all we’re doing is helping Qualcomm report it.
They’re the ones doing (and investing) in the right stuff everyday. You should spend some time with their report http://www.qualcomm.com/qsr it’s really amazing what they’ve done with reclaimed water, photovoltaic cells on parking garages and sustainable kitchen practices….and that’s just in operations. The sustainability efforts that they put into their product design are equally remarkable.