Embedding Sustainability
Changing mind-set, information sources, decision-making processes and reporting are probably the biggest organisational challenges faced by both the public and private sectors in responding to the "sustainability revolution". Although many organisations now have sustainability policies, relatively few have robust systems and procedures to embed these consistently and effectively into the "DNA" of their businesses.
The project therefore created three main embedding-related outputs from the previous phases of work.
The first was the identification of the 10 main elements required to embed sustainability successfully in an organisation. These are:
- Board and senior management commitment
- Understanding and analysing the key sustainability drivers for the organisation
- Integrating the key sustainability drivers into the organisation's strategy
- Ensuring that sustainability is the responsibility of everyone in the organisation and not just of a specific department
- Breaking-down sustainability targets and objectives for the organisation as a whole into targets and objectives which are meaningful for individual subsidiaries, divisions and departments
- Processes that enable sustainability issues to be taken into account clearly and consistently in day-to-day decision-making
- Extensive and effective sustainability training
- Including sustainability targets and objectives in performance appraisal
- Champions to promote sustainability and celebrate success and
- Monitoring and reporting sustainability performance.
For further details please click here.
 | The second step was to create a website, www.sustainabilityatwork.org.uk. This website provides the information and the tools to demonstrate how an organisation can embed sustainability in day-to-day operations and gives examples of good practice in this respect. Find out more about the Sustainability at Work website. |
The third was to create a web-based tool or methodology to enable sustainability issues to be taken into account more robustly and consistently in day-to-day decision-making. Find out more about the Decision making tool.
Download the decision making tool here.