You’d be forgiven for thinking that asking for a definition of sustainability is no longer safe. Like ‘digital’ – that other term most of us have trouble describing – sustainability is such a big part of our lives it’s assumed we understand it innately. But unlike digital, with its numbers lining up to provide concrete meaning, sustainability is open to interpretation, used to describe a company’s duty to shareholders as often as it is a responsibility to the environment. They’re both valid.

The most widely accepted definition states ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future’. Or, ‘the art of making sure the actions you make today can be repeated over and over again’. 1

Sustainability is not only about the environment or profits, resources, people, or community. The key to adapting and benefiting from sustainability is the integrated management of all these elements.

Matt Perry, a partner in Sydney-based sustainability agency Republic of Everyone, says “Business is people oriented, so we have a responsibility to people and the place they live, the planet.”

Behind this simple statement is a range of options and challenges that are both exciting and overwhelming.

Begin to accept the responsibilities of sustainable business by first looking at your organisation from an environmental perspective. How can you use resources more efficiently, and where can you reduce waste? There are dozens of tools available to help measure your footprint, and once you understand the various impacts your business has on the environment, decreasing costs and increasing efficiency becomes easy.

But you need to buy in.”In order to genuinely make a difference, you need your people on side,” Perry says.”That goes for senior guys giving you the mandate to make it a key pillar of business, right through to the foot soldiers who’ll ultimately make it happen.

From compulsory energy ratings on electrical appliances to carbon neutral beers, shareholders, consumers and employees are seeking improved environmental and social performance from businesses in every sphere. Last May, in the depths of the global financial crisis, Nielsen polling showed that while economic growth had become the most important social issue (for 55% of Australians polled), 51% of respondents put the environment as their first or second priority.2

“The consumer expects the brands to play their role. Increasingly, everyday people will expect them to have done due diligence. They may not understand it and analyse it, but they will expect it. Brands that take responsibility will win. In the end, they’ll be the most trusted,” Perry explains.

What starts with changing the lighting in your office can lead to significant savings and increased margins. Aiming for zero waste to landfill leads to a reduction in your environmental impact, and an added layer to your company’s story.

So don’t sit quietly at the back of the class hoping to pick it up as you go along. No one will lose points for asking for advice on getting involved.
1. Source: Peacock, Ben. “WTF Is Sustainability?” Republic of Everyone. 2008.
www.republicofeveryone.com/republications/wtfisustainability.pdf
2. Source: “Survey 1.” Nielsen Panorama, Australia. 2009.