5 minute read
Eleven ways for HR to influence on sustainability
Rob Perry, Manager Thriving People at the Sustainable Business Council, provides proven strategies for HR professionals to advocate for sustainability within their organisations.
Sustainability is crucial for any business. However, driving meaningful sustainability action can be challenging, which is why it’s crucial to develop a strong leadership team that is knowledgeable, committed and capable of inspiring change.
HR professionals are both primed and uniquely positioned to help businesses embrace sustainability through their people management approaches, broad skillset and the deep cross-organisational connections they foster. HR leaders need to make sure they are equipped to seize this opportunity and bring it to executives’ attention.
We’ve seen enormous growth and progress in the environmental sustainability space, but what about the other areas of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) suite? The
Sustainable Business Council’s recently launched flagship report Strengthening the S in ESG aims to put ‘thriving people’ at the heart of business. The report shows that ‘S’ in ESG is lagging behind the increasingly structured approaches of the ‘E’ and the ‘G’.
The ‘S’ in ESG is evolving rapidly. The landscape is complex. Emerging regulations are broadening business responsibilities, while stakeholders are intensifying their scrutiny of the social performance of businesses. Yet, the ‘S’ is lagging, and action remains relatively siloed and issue-specific, with impacts falling short of ambitions.
As the natural stewards for the ‘S’ in ESG, HR practitioners will be critical in broadening boardroom perspectives beyond just the ‘E’ and ‘G’. Here are 11 strategies HR professionals can use to effectively advocate for sustainability within their organisations.
Understand the business case: Before progressing with the executive team, it’s critical to understand the business case for sustainability and how it aligns with the organisation’s purpose, strategic goals and objectives.
Organisational maturity: Assess current progress on sustainability (including the ‘S’) to identify strengths and weaknesses, create a benchmark, and start conversations on building capability, accountability and transparency.
Develop a sustainability strategy: Work with senior leadership to develop a comprehensive sustainability strategy that aligns with the organisation’s purpose and values and focuses on your material issues.
Training and development: Providing sustainability leadership and development opportunities will help senior managers acquire the skills and knowledge they need to tackle these issues.
Lead by example: Exemplify sustainability behaviour and practices to inspire executives.
Leadership advocacy: Stay informed on legislation, critical issues, emerging trends and best practice. Include sustainability as an important topic in executive meetings and frame sustainability initiatives as strategic imperatives rather than separate initiatives.
Involve senior leaders in decision-making: Encourage leaders to participate in sustainability decisionmaking, to create shared ownership and commitment.
Risk management and demonstrating return on investment: Present a precise return on investment analysis for sustainability initiatives, highlight the risks of inaction (for example, regulatory, supply chain vulnerabilities,
Impact measurement and reporting: Collaborate with executives to develop SMART metrics and KPIs to track and report on outcome-focused sustainability progress.
Engage and collaborate for impact: Identify key stakeholders (for example, employees, customers, investors and community leaders) invested in sustainability. Engage with them to build support for sustainability initiatives and look for collaboration opportunities.
Start small and build on successes: Propose manageable, realistic and scalable innovations that demonstrate the value proposition and build momentum without requiring significant initial investment.
Building a culture of sustainability throughout an organisation takes time, and HR leaders should be persistent in their efforts. It’s also essential to tailor the messaging and approach to align with the specific concerns and priorities of the senior leaders in your organisation. Building a compelling business case and demonstrating the value of sustainability can go a long way in influencing executive support.
Ten top ways HR teams can integrate sustainability into policy and practices reputation and legal) and show how sustainability can mitigate these risks effectively.
Align company policy with sustainability goals.
Ensure sustainability goals are clearly communicated to all employees, including leadership.
Build accountability for sustainability outcomes across the organisation (at all levels) and value chain, linking impact to performance management.
Recruit and retain top talent who are sustainability conscious by incorporating these values into job descriptions and company culture.
Communicate and integrate sustainability goals into onboarding processes so employees understand their role in achieving organisational sustainability goals.
Develop training programmes and mentorship opportunities for employees (at all levels) who want to learn more about sustainability.
Engage and build positive relationships with local communities by understanding their challenges and where your organisation can make a positive impact.
Foster a culture of sustainability by raising employee awareness about its relevance to the organisation’s purpose. Celebrate sustainable practices through storytelling.
Work with other departments to incorporate ESG principles into business operations.
Establish targeted partnerships with sustainability-focused organisations, non-profits or government agencies to collaborate on sustainability projects and initiatives.
Robert Perry manages the Sustainable Business Council’s Thriving People portfolio. He champions business leadership and collective impact that supports employee wellbeing, positively affects communities and wider society, and puts thriving people at the heart of better business and our transition to a zero-carbon economy. Robert has over 20 years’ experience providing strategic leadership on critical sustainability issues and their solutions in business, consultancy and public sector organisations in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Originally from Liverpool, Robert is a passionate Liverpool FC fan, muso and fitness fanatic.
