Resource: Integrating Sustainability into Business Strategy

Title:	Integrating Sustainability into Business Strategy
Resource type:	Article
Topics:	Business
Keywords:	business, company, culture, business plan
Audience:	All, Business
Region:	Minnesota Statewide, Outside Minnesota
Summary:	A sustainability consultant outlines "Six Steps to Sustainability" that businesses typically pass through during the process of building sustainability into their operating culture.
Content:	Readers of the free bi-monthly e-newsletter from Corporate Responsibility Officer (CRO) are looking for lessons learned, best-in-class, how tos, and concrete, implementable advice from peers and experts in the area. In the September 5, 2007 newsletter, a sustainability consultant briefly distills "Six Steps to Sustainability" (available at the web page below) that businesses typically pass through during the process of building sustainability into their operating culture. Establish a Company Culture and Align the Business Plan Examine Inputs Evaluate Processes Set Priorities for Environmentally Sustainable Production Evaluate Products Set Priorities for Sustainable Design While based on the experiences of large corporations, the steps also make sense for small businesses and other organizations. In particular, businesses and other organizations tend to first experiment with environmental strategies (steps 1, 2, 3) such as pollution prevention that have a positive financial result. Experience, success and confidence at this level leads to a deeper, broader focus (steps 4, 5, 6) on "designing with nature" and on social issues inside/outside the organization.
Website:	http://www.thecro.com/node/520
Suggested by:	Philipp Muessig
Added:	09/18/07
Updated:	08/12/11