What is a sustainability consultant, and why do I need one?
Sustainability Consultant + Strategist Nash Gierak explains why a sustainability expert is essential to future-proof your business.
What is a sustainability consultant?
When it comes to sustainability, even businesses that are not particularly eco-conscious have been required to pivot due to consumer demand for transparency, and the emergence of company sustainability statements.
For the most part, businesses want to future-proof (a shrewd decision in any scenario) and tread lightly on the planet, but just don't know where to start. However, many still see sustainability as an afterthought or a tick-box exercise.
Intentions aside, companies using poorly understood buzzwords alongside ambiguous policies amount to greenwashing, which is broadly defined as marketing that misleads consumers into believing a company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is). This leaves businesses open to breaching advertising codes and standards (ASA/CAP/CMA).
Sustainability consultants use their specialist knowledge to uphold standards and ensure responsible accurate GRI reporting to all interested parties and stakeholders, including customers, clients, staff, investors, and regulatory and certification bodies.
Why do I need one?
Environmental issues aren't going away. Whatever your industry, or the nature of your business, it is wise to get a regularly reviewed sustainability policy in place. But doing things the sustainable way isn't always the easiest way. Add tighter regulations around greenwashing into the mix and it becomes a minefield of ethical and legal conundrums that require specialist expertise.
Maybe you want to create a more eco-friendly infrastructure within your premises. Perhaps you're interested in joining the B Corp community and becoming a leading voice in your industry. Or you may require guidance regarding your supply chain; it can be hard to know, for instance, whether it's better to work with a local supplier that uses plastic packaging, or a non-local zero-waste product using carbon-neutral delivery. These are valid questions. And the answers aren't always as straightforward as you might think.
By having a dedicated person onboard to assess your operations—and provide guidance, facilitation, and maintenance—your business can rapidly adjust and recalibrate as necessary, allowing you to manage environmental risks and opportunities in a fast-moving sector.
Creating a sustainability-first framework for your business contributes to employee retention, and increases shareholder and stakeholder value long-term. While rigorous sustainability practices undoubtedly give a competitive edge, they also provide a sense of community within industries, bringing about collaborative opportunities that inspire industry-wide change.
Moving towards this Triple Bottom Line approach positions a business as an exemplary force for good.
If there's been a lightbulb moment for you while reading this and you'd like to chat about ways we could work together, we’d love to hear from you.
