The essence of sustainability lies in making sure current needs are covered without compromising future growth. For businesses, this is win-win, as not only do they have to pay salaries and taxes over the long term (not to mention all sorts of other expenses, which call for a sustainability policy in the here and now), but they also have to develop their business to be in line with environmental, social and economic factors. In this post, we’ll discuss how to create value over the medium term and show you how to make yours a sustainable business.
Re-analyse your corporate policies
If your company has already set out its basic principles - mission, vision and values - it’s time to integrate sustainability into them. A good way to do this is to re-analyse your corporate policies with an eye to making your company more efficient, more personalised and more sustainable. The goal, after all, is to create value in a smart and continual way that doesn’t put the need for profit above the importance of the resources available.
Integrate the SDGs into your daily work
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are perhaps the most well-known part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. It’s a good idea to integrate, in some way, the teachings of the SDGs into your daily operations. Sustainable businesses are known for their actions, their deeds. Don’t forget that private companies - alongside individuals and non-profits - are some of the most important players in society.
Identify your key groups of interest and work for them
And what does that mean, exactly?, you might well be asking yourself. Well, it basically means that you need to know who will be the direct beneficiary of your company’s actions. Your clients are an obvious answer, but believing that they are the be-all and end-all would be a much too narrow view and may have implications over the long term.
Your key groups of interest say a lot about your company. These might be shareholders, investors, employees, society, the natural world and the ecosystem as a whole, to name but a few. Not only do you need to be able to identify all your key groups, you also need your company’s actions to try to have a positive impact on all their realities. It’s not all about money and profit.
Sustainable businesses care about the environment, their employees’ working conditions and profit. There is an understanding that the company’s position in the medium and long term depends to a great extent on how it is perceived by society as a whole.
Set up sustainable production processes
Businesses are all about productivity so why not set up a sustainable production process from the start? There’s no doubt that the decision will bear fruits over the medium and long term. Nowadays, price doesn’t hold the weight it once did in the past. Increasing numbers of consumers value sustainable production processes and eco values when making a decision about whether to purchase product A or product B. Sustainable businesses are proponents of sustainable production, it’s as simple as that.
Back sustainability programmes
Ultimately, it is up to companies to decide what they want to fight for. Your business could sign up to a third party corporate social responsibility programme that will, without doubt, boost your brand image. There are programmes dedicated to all sorts of topics - reforestation, farming, energy saving, wildlife protection, to name but a few - and each of them can help create value over the medium term, helping your company to gain followers.
An ardent supporter of sustainability, the Costa del Sol showcases its commitment by working with all sorts of different sectors. The province has all sorts of benefits that will enable you to progress without leaving ecological and social considerations by the wayside. A growing technology centre and the wealth of the natural world combine with efficient transport systems to promote sustainability from the bottom up. So how about putting our advice into practice in Malaga province and creating value for your company over the medium term?
