Sustainability, the hot buzz word on every business’ agenda. From creating new policies and standards to reporting on achievements. But with everyone interpreting it differently, somehow the core messages of sustainability gets lost.
Lets go back to the basics, and recap on the fundamentals of what sustainability means.
What is Sustainability?
In 1987, the United Nations said sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” They broke it down into 3 clear pillars; environmental, economic and social.
When we talk about ‘Sustainability’ we can reference it in two ways. Both vitally important but one refers to goals and the other achievement.
Sustainability – meaning the long-term goal.
Sustainable Development – meaning the processes and pathways to achieve it.
So, when we talk about ‘Sustainability’ we must highlight our ‘Development,’ because they go hand in hand, one will not work without the other.
The 3 pillars of sustainability
The 3 pillars are often referred to as “people, planet, and profits, and below is a little recap.
- Environmental; ‘Planet’
This is the most frequently talked about and promoted. We all constantly see streams of social media posts discussing, promoting and highlighting our planet. Environmental Sustainability is about the concern of human impact on our environment. Looking at topics such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, environmental pollution, deforestation and general degradation of ecosystems.
- Economic; ‘Profit’
In its simplest form, economic sustainability refers to practices that support long-term economic growth. These practices must not negatively impact our social, environmental, and/or cultural aspects of our community. Economic sustainability is the ability of an economy to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely so that future generations can cater to their needs.
- Social; ‘People’
Social sustainability is a measure of human’s welfare. It addresses human rights and basic necessities, making sure they are attainable by all people. It looks at whether we all have access to enough resources so we can keep our families and communities healthy and secure.
Why is sustainability important?
It’s simple, it comes down to the basic task of understanding the kind of future we are leaving for the next generation. The generation a lot of us will be raising, nurturing and teaching. We hope that when they stand in our shoes, their children will live in a world to be proud of. A world that is surviving and growing. A world full of new possibilities and breathing clean air.
The short and long term benefits are huge. We cannot continue the way we are going, so we must maintain our earths Eco-system and make changes now. To continue harming our environment will damage the future of our next generation.
What does sustainability mean in a business?
Using the 3 pillars of sustainability, a business would address the following:
- ‘Planet’ Must be able to conserve natural resources, focusing on environmental protection.
- ‘People’ Support a healthy community and workforce, and be socially responsible.
- ‘Profit’ Earn enough revenue to remain financially and environmentally viable for the long-term.
These 3 pillars in a business are often referred to as ‘The Triple Bottom Line.’ This approach is not only ethical but important for us to meet the UN standards of environmental sustainability. It’s economical and allows us to adopt a stronger business model. When you share these values with your business community and network, it will enable you to attract employees, customers and shareholders. You will all share the same values and invest in these goals together. Sustainability is positive for your company image and for your revenue.
The harsh reality according to the Independent, is that in Britain, almost a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions (18pc) come from businesses. So what can we do to protect the future?
The Future
Sustainability is vital for a brighter future and we must all understand the role we play in achieving it. So at work today, consider the following and act now to have a positive impact on our future.
- Become Energy Efficient – looking at lighting, office equipment, heating and air conditioning.
- Conserve Water – reduce your water usage at work.
- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – Address your business’s waste, if it can not be eliminated or reused, then recycled.
- Go Digital – You reduce waste by going digital and paperless
- Travel Smarter – Change your daily commute, walk, cycle, take public transport or work from home.
By addressing sustainability and adopting just some of the points above you will be decreasing the size of your carbon footprint. So start today, make our workplaces sustainable and build for a brighter future.
If you would like to look at a digital solution for paperless data capture, that is an invest in sustainability, then please get in touch. We would love to hear from you. Contact us via email info@banthamtechnologies.com or call +44 (0)20 7698 4447 or via our website here.
