How can sustainability leaders ensure the longevity of their initiatives?
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Sustainability is not only a buzzword, but a strategic imperative for any organization that wants to thrive in the long term. However, implementing and maintaining sustainability initiatives can be challenging, especially in the face of changing circumstances, competing priorities, and stakeholder expectations. How can sustainability leaders ensure the longevity of their initiatives and create lasting impact? Here are some tips to consider.
One of the key factors that can influence the success and sustainability of any initiative is how well it aligns with the vision and values of the organization. Sustainability leaders should communicate clearly how their initiatives support the overall purpose, mission, and culture of the organization, and how they contribute to its strategic goals and objectives. By doing so, they can create a sense of ownership, commitment, and accountability among all stakeholders, and foster a culture of sustainability that permeates the organization.
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Zoi Kontodimou
Corporate Sustainability Management & ESG PhD Researcher | Chair - CQI Sustainability SIG
All sustainability initiatives should address long-term strategic initiatives. A sustainability culture should be established, so that stakeholder concerns are respected and addressed, and goals and objectives are designed by considering the big picture. Feedback to the stakeholders through corporate reporting is crucial since it is how the company can be accountable and receive feedback on the issues to improve. Nothing outside the corporate culture can be resilient and applied in the long run
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Mustafizur Rahman Rajib
Chief Operating Officer (COO) ll Operational Excellence I Strategic Planning I Business Growth I Marketing & Supply Chain l IE l Budget & Cost Control I Process Excellence I CSR l PPM I Lean Six Sigma l $ 100M turnover
To ensure longevity, sustainability leaders should focus on community engagement, adaptability to changing circumstances, and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility. Regular assessments and adjustments will help keep initiatives relevant and effective over time.
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Another important factor is how well sustainability leaders engage and empower their stakeholders, both internal and external. Stakeholders are the people who are affected by or can affect the sustainability initiatives, such as employees, customers, suppliers, investors, regulators, communities, and so on. Sustainability leaders should involve them in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the initiatives, and solicit their feedback, input, and suggestions. By doing so, they can build trust, rapport, and collaboration, and leverage their diverse perspectives, skills, and resources.
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Liviu Ghiuzan 李勇
💡 Results-driven Senior Leader | Driving Excellence in Quality Management, Technical Development & Manufacturing Efficiency | CSR and Sustainability | Leading Industry Transformations
Creating a clear communication strategy that involves all relevant parties, including customers and business stakeholders, is essential. By effectively communicating your sustainability vision, values, and mission, you can establish a strong reputation as a reliable and committed sustainability leader, gaining trust and support from a wider audience.
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Maria Tsabal
Legal Counsel @ FMO | Project Finance and Sustainable Finance
Longevity in sustainability initiatives comes from active stakeholder engagement. Involving employees, customers, and other key groups in the development and execution of these initiatives not only builds trust and collaboration but also harnesses diverse insights, making the initiatives more robust and adaptable.
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A third factor is how well sustainability leaders measure and report the progress and impact of their initiatives. Sustainability leaders should establish clear and relevant indicators, metrics, and targets that can track the performance, outcomes, and benefits of the initiatives, and align them with the organization's key performance indicators (KPIs). They should also report regularly and transparently on the results, achievements, and challenges of the initiatives, and use the data to inform decision-making, improvement, and learning.
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Fiona T.
🌎 Global Audit and Risk Business Partner | The G in ESG | Passionate about sustainability, human-centred design, digital transformation and mental wellness
Initiatives can be visualized as part of a sustainability roadmap. Progress updates on the sustainability roadmap can be presented in regular sustainability committee meetings.
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Maria Tsabal
Legal Counsel @ FMO | Project Finance and Sustainable Finance
Tracking progress in sustainability is not just about compliance; it’s about leadership. It means setting actionable metrics that resonate with your organization's KPIs. Regular, transparent reporting keeps everyone accountable and shows real impact. Use this data not just for validation, but as a compass for continuous improvement. It’s not just about reaching goals; it’s about setting the standard for what those goals should be.
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A fourth factor is how well sustainability leaders adapt and innovate in response to changing conditions, opportunities, and threats. Sustainability is not a static state, but a dynamic process that requires constant monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment. Sustainability leaders should be aware of the external and internal factors that can affect their initiatives, such as market trends, customer preferences, technological developments, regulatory changes, competitor actions, and organizational changes. They should also be open to experimenting, testing, and learning from new ideas, approaches, and solutions that can enhance their sustainability performance and impact.
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Liviu Ghiuzan 李勇
💡 Results-driven Senior Leader | Driving Excellence in Quality Management, Technical Development & Manufacturing Efficiency | CSR and Sustainability | Leading Industry Transformations
Sustainability is an ongoing learning journey. To thrive in this field, it's crucial to: 1. Engage in global initiatives and be a voice for positive change. 2. Adapt to evolving market trends and conditions. 3. Continuously monitor developments and stay open to innovative approaches. 4. Sustainability leaders should remain agile and proactive to address the ever-changing landscape of sustainability effectively.
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Maria Tsabal
Legal Counsel @ FMO | Project Finance and Sustainable Finance
Sustainability demands agility. Leaders must navigate evolving markets, regulations, and technologies with foresight. It’s about pioneering - leveraging change for innovation. Stay ahead by engaging with new sustainability practices and technologies. Embrace the learning curve; let it guide your strategies. In sustainability, the only constant is change - lead the charge by transforming challenges into stepping-stones for innovation.
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A fifth factor is how well sustainability leaders celebrate and inspire their stakeholders with their sustainability initiatives. Sustainability leaders should recognize and reward the achievements, contributions, and efforts of their stakeholders, and share the stories, lessons, and best practices that emerge from their initiatives. They should also showcase the positive impact and value that their initiatives create for the organization, the society, and the environment, and inspire others to join, support, or emulate their sustainability journey.
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Amira Fouad
Program Manager - I care about Sustainability, Clean Energy, Data Protection, Gender Equality and power of Social Media
Sustainability leads gain allies by spreading sunshine! Sharing snaps and stats celebrating each milestone motivates future teamwork. Recognizing top talent publicly and privately maintains momentum. Spreading inspiring tales through lively storytelling engages all. Stories portraying people and places positively impacted recruit volunteers and vendors. Lessons learned presented plain but passionately help everyone progress. Also, Jazzy updates showcasing leadership initiatives draw interest from investors, regulators and communities.
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Liviu Ghiuzan 李勇
💡 Results-driven Senior Leader | Driving Excellence in Quality Management, Technical Development & Manufacturing Efficiency | CSR and Sustainability | Leading Industry Transformations
Celebrating with customers, organizing engaging events for stakeholders and business partners, and participating in sustainability conferences hosted by third-party entities are excellent ways for sustainability leaders to: 1. Strengthen relationships and inspire engagement among various stakeholders. 2. Showcase their commitment and successes in sustainability. 3. Become influential voices in the global sustainability landscape. 4. Share valuable insights and encourage broader adoption of sustainable practices.
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Antonio Vizcaya Abdo
Sustainability Advocate igniting business action for people & planet 🌏
Sustainability needs to be deeply embedded in the core functions and strategic goals of a business, rather than treated as a set of separate, philanthropic activities that depend on external funding. By weaving sustainability into every aspect of a company's operations, it becomes a vital component of the business's overall value and a driving force for continuous growth. This approach involves devising and executing projects that not only minimize harm but actively generate positive effects for society and the environment.
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Gina Panayiotou LLB, LLM, CBA, MBA
💫ESG Strategist | Branding the industry that makes the 🌍 go round I Secretary WISTA UK | Seatrade Maritime Club UK Ambassador |"Top Maritime Influencer"| Oceans Advocate I Lawyer I Speaker I Broadcaster IWriter
By onboarding “change champions” - aligning sustainability with business strategy is a change management process, therefore to ensure long-term success you need key players in the organisation who will believe, support, inspire others and carry the vision through.
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