A review of your business is a chance to tease out the great things you're already doing, and to discover opportunities to optimise your operations, looking at supply chains, energy efficiency, waste management, fossil fuel divestment, ethical finance, logistics, staff awareness, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments. This stage includes research on industry-specific precedents and developments, and identifying opportunities for creative impact campaigns.

A strategy is a realistic roadmap that balances the findings of the initial review, alongside the sustainability goals that resonate with your business. A strategy allows for items to be phased in and trialled: flexibility is key; as a fast-moving field, opportunities for sustainable innovation can shift rapidly. The strategy document is the basis for a sustainability policy, a staff training schedule, customer and client communications, marketing and PR, and stakeholder engagement.

With a strategy in place, drawing up a sustainability policy to accurately reflect current practices is essential. We will typically look at introducing workflows that foster a sustainability-first mindset. The facilitation of the strategy might include scoping emissions and setting up carbon reduction targets/offsetting, supporting current suppliers and onboarding new ones, pursuing accreditation, implementing community projects, staff training, writing client decks, and SEO-focused web content.

CSR-related activities are a major factor in employee satisfaction, and talent retention. We use a three-tiered approach that includes creating bespoke onboarding training, bespoke carbon literacy training, reviewing the company culture book, and arranging supplier visits and CPD presentations. Team Sustainability Days can include bat walks, foraging, museum outings, talks, documentary screenings, and beach cleans; it's important to feel connected to the nature we're trying to protect.

Gaining accreditation via a third-party framework is a great way to signal and reassure stakeholders (customers, clients, shareholders, etc.) of your commitment to sustainability. If you have B Corp, Planet Mark, Positive Luxury, The SRA's Food Made Good rating, UN Global Compact, ISO 14001 / 20121 / 26000, or another industry-relevant certification in your sights, We can oversee the process using the GRI Reporting Standards, and support you in maintaining your certifications long-term.

As we race towards a net-zero economy, we are seeing fast-paced developments of all kinds, including greater regulation, revised standards, innovative technology, and social change. Having a dedicated specialist to support you in staying ahead of the curve will not only future-proof your business, it will also allow you to build sustainability into your company culture, maintain your certifications and accreditations, and run an effective environmental management system.