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Sustainability is finally poised to have its moment — and it ’ s going to be a long moment . Powered by worsening climate change , growing regulatory pressure and massive generational behaviour changes , sustainability is positioned to be the defining trend of the next 50 years .
The reality is we can no longer accept the status quo . After all , doing the same thing is what created this crisis in the first place . The good news is that we can individually and collectively make a difference today for generations to come . If we choose to not cause more harm , we can allow the planet to recover .
Thinking sustainably about your organisation is simply good business practice . It creates better working environments , better profit margins , better communities and more importantly a better planet .
Every organisation is different , and your approach should recognise this , however it should not be an excuse not to act . The urgency is now . We need to act today .
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As we mature our thinking and approach to sustainability , we should acknowledge our ambitions ( our ultimate goal ) alongside where we are as an organisation today .
Fundamentally it is you and the people in your organisation that need to change . We must change in behaviour , change in values and potentially change in beliefs to realise the outcome we wish to see .
If we take the position that this is about citizenship , and that we all have a role to play , as individuals and as organisations , then we shift the mindset to united autonomy
To create change we should focus on where there is energy and passion , taking incremental as well as transformational steps towards our goal .
If we drive thinking and activity from bottom up and top down it is amazing what can be achieved when we recognise the sense of urgency , see the value and know individually we can make a difference .
Like any change there are different levels
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we can work from . In terms of sustainability , it is worth considering three core levels when thinking about your organisation and the people within it . This enables you to target how you will best effect change . The aim is to move to Level 3 – ‘ strategic change ’.
1 . Effectiveness Typically in this frame we are looking solely at sustainability through a lens of efficiency and effectiveness , for example measuring , seeking cost savings and reducing our footprint .
2 . Transformative We embody effectiveness but are also seeking to make significant changes . We may be seeking to change the way we work . For example , digitising to remove waste , creating new operating models that create better working environments , or making waste into new products .
3 . Strategic We embody both effectiveness and transformation but seek to recognise
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our goal is both internal and externally referenced . Our objectives and work focusses on the impact outside of our organisation and begins to consider the change and impact we can make to enable our organisation to be a force for good . For example , seeking to work on a particular sustainable development goal .
It is important to remember that there is no right or wrong . It simply starts by having conversations , creating a shared vision and taking action .
Remember , it is often the many small changes that result in the biggest breakthroughs and strategically transformative change .
For more info : www . digitalwonderlab . com
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We work paperless The average office worker uses about 10,000 sheets of paper each year . If you have five employees , that ’ s about 50,000 sheets every 365 days ! Wasted money , and pointless emissions .
We use cloud storage to save documents , and we don ’ t print out emails , which saves us a lot of paper and ink . If there is ever something that NEEDS printing , we will be sure to print on both sides of the paper , which saves up to 50 per cent more than normal printing .
We use sustainable packaging We use sustainable packaging wherever we can , and like to make sure we only send out parcels and packages when we really need to - if we can create an e-book or pdf and email it over then certainly we will .
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The environmental benefits of using sustainable packaging are obvious : reduced waste ; less energy used in production ; and less air pollution caused by the transportation of goods ( and therefore shorter journeys too ).
Offer hybrid work Hybrid work is the perfect way to help both your company and the environment . It ' s a win-win situation .
If you don ' t know what hybrid work is , where have you been these past couple years ? To summarise , hybrid working is splitting your work time between home and the office - and we LOVE it ! It allows us to cut the commute in half , and work from our homes whenever we can .
In fact we love hybrid working so much that a couple of months ago , Adobe selected
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me and my team , as the influencer brand for their hybrid working campaign . Since then , we have influenced many teams to implement a hybrid working model and they haven ' t looked back since . If you haven ' t tried hybrid working , then you know what to do !
Travel to the office / work events together When we do go into the office or out to events , we try to remain eco-friendly . This is why we travel to work together whenever possible rather than separately driving vehicles . It ' s cheaper , environmentally friendly and will result in less congestion , which means fewer emissions released into earth ' s atmosphere . It also allows us to kickstart our morning and even save money on parking fees if we share the cost of petrol or public transport costs - which may get spent on a coffee or breakfast instead .
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Conclusion If you are looking for ways to implement sustainable and eco-friendly practices into your workplace , use this as your kick in the backside . The longer you wait , the more damage you are doing to our environment . Don ' t wait until it is too late , take action and get green !
For more info : www . smashittraining . com
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