Why sustainability should be part of your strategy, core values, and culture

Updated: 
March 14, 2023
Article

Plus the signs of a sustainability leader.

As a business or organization matures, its sustainability efforts should permeate nearly every aspect of its strategy, core values, and culture. And when sustainability becomes part of both an internal and external brand identity, it’s the sign of a sustainability leader. 

While sustainable companies benefit the planet through reduced carbon emissions, they also receive positive benefits, including:  

• Competitive advantages 
• Enhanced financial performance 
• Engaged employees 

For those benefits to take hold, a diplomatic and tactful strategy is essential. Below are just a few points for organizations to consider when presenting sustainability goals and progress to employees, customers, and investors. 

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Communicate to stakeholders 

If you already model sustainable behaviors, do you also go the extra mile to communicate your efforts? Sometimes it can be as simple as a few social posts, an email newsletter, or a section of your website dedicated to your efforts. You can also talk about your sustainability efforts on your product’s packaging to educate customers at critical points in their journey. If you’re putting in the work, you should reap the benefits, which will factor into your bottom line in the long run.  

Maintain a competitive advantage 

Sustainability creates a competitive advantage when it comes to capital investments. Sound environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) practices lead to operational efficiencies and reduced costs. Plus, sustainability commitments tend to influence publicly traded firms and stockholder relations. In fact, studies show a positive correlation between ESG performance and stock prices.  

Connect sustainability with core values 

Attracting and retaining top talent will always be essential to growth, even as the workforce evolves. But to put a number on it: Millennials—who will make up 75% of the workforce by 2025—are five times more likely to stay with an employer if they feel a strong connection to its purpose.  

A strong culture of sustainability should address short-term needs and a vision for the future. Quite often, independent, grassroots efforts that begin with employees will jumpstart a sustainable culture. For example, local river cleanups or office-wide recycling programs can lead to broader strategies and ambitious goals over time. Just make sure your employees are empowered to take ownership of your sustainability program.

Editorial statement
At Sustain.Life, our goal is to provide the most up-to-date, objective, and research-based information to help readers make informed decisions. Written by practitioners and experts, articles are grounded in research and experience-based practices. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by our team of sustainability professionals to ensure content is accurate and aligns with current industry standards. Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.
Author
Sustain.Life Team
Sustain.Life’s teams of sustainability practitioners and experts often collaborate on articles, videos, and other content.
Reviewer
Annalee Bloomfield
Annalee Bloomfield is the CEO at Sustain.Life. Previously, at Jet.com, she helped build the online retailer from the ground up as part of the product organization before it was acquired by Walmart.
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The takeaway

• Go the extra mile to communicate your efforts.

• Sound ESG practices lead to operational efficiencies and reduced costs.

• Millennials are five times more likely to stay with an employer if they feel a strong connection to its purpose.