Strategy

The sustainability strategy

Sustainability is the word of the moment, but it is not a fad. Sustainability is here to stay. It will take many forms and will have a profound impact on our future in all organisations and in the fabric of civil society.

Our position: Organisations that do not develop their own sustainability strategy will be heavily influenced by the choices of competitors and markets. This is already a reality. Our vision offers an antidote.

Read our manifesto

The most common strategy mistake

The approach to sustainability must always be systemic, but there are still two pillars: the sustainability of organisational systems and the sustainability of products.

For all organisations, large and small, the most common mistake in sustainability strategy is always the same: the lack of a clear vision of the different commitments required on the organisational and product sides. Confusing vision and mission is the basis for weak strategies that deliver only short-term results.

Measure

Measuring sustainability

Measuring sustainability is a necessity. The first requirement of regulators and markets is for organisations to demonstrate environmental, social and economic performance in a way that makes their commitment visible and credible.

The tools for measuring sustainability are many and internationally established. The two most widely used measurement models are LCA to measure the sustainability of products and ESG to measure the sustainability of organisations.

Can sustainability be measured easily?

When the topic is as new as sustainability, asking consultants to measure the performance of organisations may be an appropriate choice in the short term.

However, to depend on consultants to measure the results of one's own strategies is a choice that does not pay off, even in the short term. Measuring sustainability means developing skills within organisations.

Skills

Sustainability skills

Let us explore the hidden power of sustainability skills. Developing sustainability in organisations means focusing on an effective business strategy that includes sustainability. It also means having the right tools to communicate it.

This is a major challenge that needs to be addressed quickly, given the pressure from markets and regulators. Organisations that have already embarked on this journey have identified a first major obstacle: competence.

Sustainability is a new subject and there are few true experts. Relying on consultants in this situation is necessary, but relying entirely on consultants is risky. Developing in-house competence is therefore the real power that allows control over the company's sustainability choices. Control also over the services offered by consultants.

Tackling the skills challenge

In consulting, we are the bold visionaries of sustainability.

For 20 years, we have been tackling tough challenges with enthusiasm and creativity. One of the most important challenges is to help organisations develop the skills they need to make sustainability an integral part of their business decision-making strategy.

This is the role we have chosen for ourselves, and it is why we declare ourselves bio-diverse in the sustainability consultancy landscape.

Read our manifesto to understand how we meet this challenge

Communication

Communicating sustainability

To communicate sustainability, it is not enough to take the usual precautions when presenting an innovative topic. Sustainability today is certainly innovative and a fast-moving field, but above all it is a field of rules and regulations.

It is rare that communications professionals have ever had to comply with technical rules in addition to the normal rules of their own world.

So let's open the door to communication professionals with new skills! For them, environmental marketing and communication is already a new discipline.