The Strategy for Corporate Environmental sustainability is a multi-faceted goal that offers innumerable benefits both to the company and the environment. Environmental sustainability is one of the key aspects of dynamic and progressive corporate companies. Renowned enterprises are giving their highest priority to maintain the sustainability to see a major contribution to the success. Today the outlook of the business world has changed due to enhancing concerns for the environment, stringent regulations and public awareness, Corporate companies are efficiently addressing the subject of environmental sustainability by accepting green processes, energy conservation, and product developments.
The elements for corporate environmental suitability strategies are divided into four categories as:
- Setting the strategic direction
- Improving the performance of the value chain
- Improving the performance of the operations
- The relation between external and internal stakeholders
Companies embrace environmental sustainable strategies by making rules for an eco-friendly environment, reduction of the production risks and development of sustainable policies. Johnson & Johnson have invested 40 million dollars in projects to reduce greenhouse gases to lighten up the environmental footprint. Companies like AkzoNobel, Alcoa, and Siemens have found out that by adopting environmentally sustainable strategies, they have procured more benefits and capturing high market shares.
Why Sustainability is important for the corporate world?
If you are planning a new sustainability initiative for your company from ground zero, then you should know why to spend your resources and time on the strategies. There are four main reasons that the top companies in the world are investing in environmentally sustainable policies. They are:
- The policies will make the environment better that will benefit the organization in the long term
- Improve the production line
- The employees will be more dedicated and happy due to safer and healthier working environments
- The strategies can be implemented as a competitive advantage
Read our Featured Guide on – What is environmental sustainability?
Examples of Environmentally Sustainable Strategies for the corporate world
Below are some of the most commonly implemented environmentally sustainable strategies that an organization or an enterprise can accept. They are as follows.
- Prevention of pollution: An organization can play their part in the prevention of pollution by modifying the processes for production by emitting less waste and emissions. Implementation of conservation techniques like usage of less water and energy at the facility also helps. Shops towels and production scrap should be reused instead of dumping them into the wastes. In the case of packaging, none or less toxic substances should be used.
- No Landfill Waste: No landfill waste from a corporate enterprise means that they have eliminated the idea of discharge of wastes at the landfill. There should be such manufacturing strategies that will generate zero waste from the facility without dumping it at the landfill. Nestle is such an organization that has planned to attain 100% ZWTL (Zero Waste To Landfill) by the end of the year 2030.
- No Discharge: By treating and recycling industrial waste or reusable water means that the organization is not dumping any harmful pollutants from the Processing Plant. Any potential pollutant or wastewater should be converted to sludge without releasing any amount of copper into the water. Proper and reduction in the use of water is an ideal example of an environmentally sustainable organization. Levi Strauss supplies freshwater in their company though recycling of water.
- Conservation of the Resources: Installation of faucets that are low flow and automatic on/off lights, water-efficient toilets, reduction in the water use of the landscape, implementation of energy-efficient bulbs are some of the strategies that can help the corporate company to be more sustainable towards the environment. Decrease the use of scrap material in the production is another way to conserve resources.
- Waste Reduction or Minimization: According to a report by EPA, waste reduction is a method to imply environmentally sound recycling policies like recovery of the energy and treatment of wastes by an organization. By switching to recycling or laundry of shop towels, gloves, oil absorbents, mops, and filter bags, a corporate venture can easily reduce or minimize wastes. Amcor has announced that 2025, their entire packaging material will be reusable or recyclable.
- No Emissions: Implementation of the WARM (Waste Reduction Model) by the EPA is a perfect way to organize solid waste planners and track the emissions of greenhouse gases. Reduction in the wastes, usage of energy-efficient and star rated equipment, and buying low emitting vehicles can also decrease the emissions from a factory. GM is investing in modern technologies to increase their level of electrification of all their vehicles. They have announced to use 100% renewable energy by the year 2050.
- Responsible Consumption of Resources: The company should always encourage their employees to carpool or ride a bike while coming to the office for work. Utilization of less and green material for the packaging, rerouting logistics to minimize the consumption of the fuel are some of the strategies that organizations can employ for providing a more sustainable working environment to the employees.
- Implementation of Renewable or Alternative Energy: Toyota has implied the application of geothermal, solar, fuel cells of stationary hydrogen, and green power in all their manufacturing facilities. The company is also experimenting with other forms of energy like landfill gases and geothermal systems.
- Innovation: The innovation of new products and processes is a part of achieving sustainability strategies. Up-gradation to new technology is another way of becoming environmentally sustainable.
Preserving the environment is just one key element of sustainable growth. For corporate organizations to achieve sustainable development, appropriate strategies need to be employed and used in environmental areas. The good news is that many large organizations are already in the process of achieving profitable environmentally sustainable goals. Mainstreaming the most suitable practices and discovering the new ones will help the world to put on a trajectory of a more environmentally sustainable economy. These strategies will hopefully give you some ideas on how to take your corporate business’s initiative of environmentally sustainable to the above level.
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