Once you have made the decision to turn your business green, you need a long term strategy to incorporate environmental issues into strategic planning for the business.
The following six step strategy outlines activities a business will undertake in becoming sustainable.
1. Confirm management is committed to the green vision
Nothing happens in a business without the support of management. This is not so difficult in small organisations but larger companies will need to enlist the support of all those with managerial responsibilities. The management team should decide their definition of a green business as well as their reasons for going green. Is the motive to engage in ethical behaviour, be certified as environmentally friendly for marketing or to ensure environmental regulations are adhered to. A person or team (depending on the size of the business) should be designated to manage the environmental strategy and ensure decisions are implemented.
2. Create an environmental policy
Similar to the strategic vision, the environmental policy indicates at a high level what the business is committed to. Staff at all levels should have the opportunity to have input on the policy so it becomes a living document they will support in future. Consider how staff will be trained on the policy and what it means in their day to day work.
3. Determine the environmental impacts of the business
Take into account the key areas of the business. While water use, energy use and waste management are the most well known environmental issues, there are many other ways a business can impact the environment such as staff undertaking extensive travel or the use of toxic chemicals for cleaning. Consider all the inputs and outputs of the business in the creation of the product or service. If a product is being manufactured, outline the full product life cycle from the supplies used in the manufacture to how the product will be disposed of at the end of its life. Also determine what other resources are used by the business on a daily basis.
4. Set environmental goals
Take into account the impacts of the business and decide the short and long term environmental goals. By this stage there should be a good understanding of the key areas for the business which enables goals to be prioritised. Make sure each goal is specific and measurable. One priority should be to ensure the business is in compliance with environmental regulations.
5. Establish green practices in the key areas
Once goals have been set and prioritised, decisions can be made on what operational changes are required in the key areas. Determine who will be responsible for ensuring each goal is completed and how progress towards the goal will be monitored and reported.
6. Make a green communications plan
Decide how the business will report its sustainability improvements to a wider audience. The plan should address the frequency and form of communication with staff, suppliers, clients and shareholders.
Environmental planning must be considered a cycle with regular reviews of the policy, impacts, goals and practice of the business. Make sure processess are implemented to weigh up alternative options as lessons are learned through experience or new information becomes available. Investigate if environmentally responsible partnerships or stewardship programs would benefit the business and how these could be could be implemented as part of the environmental plan.
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