- Reduction of water consumption
- Recycling of waste materials
- Critical evaluation of suppliers regarding ecological and social criteria
- Avoidance of environmentally harmful chemicals
- Ecological product design
- etc.
Overall, the focus of sustainable corporate management is on working in as resource-efficient a manner as possible despite economic interests, identifying and minimizing sources of emissions, and guaranteeing fair workplaces for employees.
Sustainable corporate management, however, is not a concept that goes hand in hand exclusively with selfless environmental considerations; companies themselves also benefit acutely from environmentally friendly measures. Great opportunities arise both for competitiveness and positive reputation, as well as for employee motivation.
Introduction and implementation of sustainable corporate management
'Leadership' plays a major role in sustainable corporate management. However, the responsibility does not lie solely with the management level, but also with members of sustainability and green teams, sustainability officers, and all other people who hold a leading position in the area of sustainability within the company. They bear the responsibility in the process of implementation and compliance and, above all, need the necessary expertise to identify sources of error, potential, and relevant measures, and to successfully guide the sometimes complex corporate transformation.
To successfully master the implementation of sustainable processes in a company, six steps must be worked out in advance:
- Materiality analysis (comparison of stakeholder demands and their impact on the company's economic success)
- Influence of one's own company on the material issues
- Analysis of previous measures and sources of error
- Identification of potential additional measures
- Clear goal-setting
- Implementation of effective measures
After the measures have been implemented, the execution lies with the entire workforce, but the potential for improvement and compliance must nevertheless be regularly monitored by sustainability officers or leaders in this area. This is done, for example, through sustainability reporting (ESG reporting).
Advantages of sustainable corporate management
For Glacier Co-Founder Rainhard Fuchs, sustainable corporate management is a matter of course that should be integrated into every company in this day and age.
'We are now realizing that climate protection is not something that will concern us tomorrow, but today. I am convinced that leadership can only go hand in hand with sustainability.', says Rainhard. The CCO not only points out the absolute necessity of sustainable corporate management for the environment, but also speaks about the advantages that sustainable corporate management has for the companies themselves: 'Studies show that sustainable companies operate better and are more successful.'
The so-called sustainability image of companies plays a significant role in their reputation among customers (but beware of the greenwashing trap: sustainable appearance does not equal sustainable action). As early as 2017, the German Consumer and Media Analysis showed that only around 17% of the customers surveyed pay no attention to sustainability at all, and the tendency toward a sustainable lifestyle is steadily rising. Studies also show that companies' sustainability performance has a positive direct correlation with the financial performance of their stock market returns.
And employee engagement also rises through sustainable awareness within the company. Study results show that 70% of employees see sustainability in their everyday working life as a factor for motivation and well-being, and 15% would change their job in order to work for a company with a sustainability focus. 45% state that they would like to work in a leading position in the area of sustainability in order to set the sustainable corporate transformation within the company in motion or to further expand it, and thus act as a 'leader' in this field.
Continuing education in the field of sustainable corporate management
To anchor sustainable corporate management in the DNA of a company and/or to further expand it, the people leading the sustainability area must meet various competencies. Climate protection training offers precisely these competencies, from the introduction of sustainability strategies through to ongoing monitoring and further development.