Sustainability practitioners are receiving a more positive response in the workplace and are actively enabling business transformation programmes, a survey of IEMA members has found.
More than 60% of respondents to the poll, which was held earlier this year, said they view corporate sustainability as a ‘change process where the organisation seeks to understand material issues, impacts and dependencies in order to improve and transform their organisation.’
The three main reasons professionals gave for their organisation engaging in sustainability were to improve reputation, meet client expectations and transform the business.
However, practitioners seeking sustainability outcomes continue to face barriers, with financial restraints, lack of management support and lack of clear strategic or operational alignment being the main ones. Some 75% of respondents said sustainable procurement was proving to be a significant ongoing challenge.
The findings of the survey, conducted earlier this year, are outlined in a report, Beyond the Perfect Storm: the corporate sustainability challenge, launched today. The document builds on a previous report published by IEMA on the skills challenge posed by the need for business to be more sustainable.
The new report reveals that innovative business models and new ways to measure return-on-investment are needed to enable businesses to transform and that the strategic and tactical skills of environment and sustainability professionals are central to this.
Nick Blyth, IEMA policy lead and author of the report, said businesses have reached a critical time to establish their ability to thrive in the future.
‘There is no doubt that some businesses are further on in their journey to sustainability than others. The innovations being spearheaded by such businesses are inspiring and show what can be achieved when a long-term horizon is used,’ he said.
Many more need to follow suit and the report encapsulates what is possible, he added.
