What if we took scientific evidence about climate change as seriously as we’ve been taking scientific evidence about Covid-19?
The climate crisis will potentially impact even more aspects of our lives and businesses than Covid-19, and for a much longer period. For decades scientists have been sounding alarms about the climate crisis, but we’ve only recently begun to take these warnings seriously.
As we embark on a green recovery and “build back better”, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to incorporate sustainability and green initiatives into our economy in a way we have never been able to before. But “building back better” doesn’t exclusively apply to infrastructure and the built environment. This is a moment for businesses across all sectors and sizes to be proactive, innovate and mitigate risk while strengthening reputation, resilience and competitiveness.
Here are four steps your business can take to embrace the green recovery and “build back better”:
1) Incorporate sustainability into your values. Putting sustainability at the core of your business and being mindful of your economic, environmental and social impact will help create long-term value. Moreover, this will help your competitive edge as clients and consumers are giving increasing weight to sustainability when considering who they do business with and what products and services they use.
2) Minimize financial and reputational risk through greening your own operations. Evaluate the emissions, waste and energy sources involved in the way your business operates. Proactively transitioning to net-zero and greener operations will cost less in the long run and protect your reputation as the UK works to meet its net-zero target and embrace an economy that includes social and environmental values.
3) Enhance resilience through accountability. Making sure your supply chains, partners, clients and other key stakeholders embrace sustainable initiatives shows that you take a comprehensive approach to sustainability and corporate governance. This will demonstrate your business’ integrity – you mean what you say and don’t just look at sustainability as a buzz word or box to tick.
4) Challenge your thinking. Consider how your business model and services can evolve to meet the challenge of the climate crisis. Think boldly about the opportunity to embed sustainability into your business strategies and what your business has to offer.
With our deep expertise in corporate communications and the environment, BECG is uniquely positioned to help you improve your corporate reputation and embrace the green recovery. If you would like further help with these challenges or more information on our services, please get in touch.
