Agile Learning & Development
Agile Articles
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- Influence Sustainability - July Newsletter
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- Personal Influence For Sustainable Business
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- Case Study: Sustainable Business - Taking the Initiative
- Fiona Astin of Synergy Housing Group tells of how she has seized the initiative to build a more sustainable agenda in her workplace ...
- Non-Verbal Communication - June Newsletter
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Case Study: Sustainable Business - Taking the Initiative
The marketing impetus for being a sustainable business may already be too clichéd to be the driver for change it was barely a couple of years ago. However, could there be other benefits and imperatives? Of course!
Central Government has signed us up to a dramatic drop in CO2 emissions over the coming years and these targets just won’t be achievable without widespread involvement of the business community. Inevitably, legislation will enforce change. Already, for example, the construction industry is en route to increasingly stringent standards for newly built homes under the Code for Sustainable Homes certification scheme.
Rather than dragging your heals or waiting to be forced, why not get ahead of the game so you have control over the change and use it to steal a march on your competitors?
Where did it All Start?
Back in 2005, I became increasingly passionate about the idea of getting other people involved in tackling climate change. Working for a Housing Association with about 400 staff and 8,500 homes, I could see a potentially very effective sphere of influence. Tiny termites can build towering structures and if I could persuade nearly 9,000 households to do something even a little differently, that could add up to a significant change.
Contrary to common conceptions, sustainable development is about a lot more than just CO2. The most widely accepted definition come from the 1987 Brundtland Report (commissioned by the United Nations), which states:-
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
The three main aspects are social, economic and environmental. In a business context, this can cover many things from staff satisfaction, customer journey-mapping, reducing input of raw materials, smarter procurement, reducing transportation and innovating for new markets.
The First Step - Build a Business Case
Our Group Management Team was a little sceptical about the idea of formulating a Sustainability Strategy, but when they considered the business case I’d prepared, they had to agree that sustainability improvements were worth resourcing. They fitted into our business ethos (being a socially responsible organisation) but they would also push efficiencies, save money and gain us kudos in our sector.
The business plan covered important themes such as:
- Improve quality of life for tenants, leaseholders and staff
- Help to reduce fuel poverty
- Develop best practice
- Become a market leader in sustainability issues
- Share our expertise with other organisations
- Earn respect from our residents, the public, our funders and other agencies
Get Help
There are several U.K. organisations out there set up to assist. I started by getting us a free Green Fleet Review from the Energy Saving Trust. They asked for some initial information and sent an experienced consultant to come and review our practices. We then received a full and really useful report showing us how we could better manage our fleet and reduce mileage costs. This report allowed us to make greener choices with our large van fleet and organise our repairs service more efficiently to reduce journeys ... with the added bonus of giving our residents a better responsive repairs service. The advice also gave us plenty of ideas for longer term improvements as well as quick wins, and is still influencing our practices 3 years later.
Another great resource is WRAP who “work with businesses across many sectors to highlight the need for behaviour change and then help to deliver it.” One example of what WRAP do is to work with manufacturers to reduce packaging and to promote use of recycled materials in production. They also work with the horticulture industry to increase use of composting techniques.
I downloaded a number of thought-provoking posters from The Carbon Trust to put up around the office to encourage staff to reduce their electricity use. I also published lots of useful tips from Friends of the Earth on our staff intranet.
All Aboard
To effect all this change, you’re going to need to get people on board at all levels of the organisation. I set up a series of ‘Hot Houses’ which got volunteer staff, residents and Board Members together to discuss and set out new policy in particular areas such as getting the sustainability message to residents and reducing waste and using recycled materials. I also recruited ‘Sustainability Champions’ from Board and Group Management Team to endorse our improvements at the highest levels of the organisation.
The Sustainability Strategy itself informed our areas of priority. I used a ‘back-casting’ technique, which set out Ten Key Features of a Sustainable Housing Association. This started with what we would look like when we’d achieved our aims, and how we would measure that we’d got there. This was a really inspiring way of working for me - starting with the ideal aim in sight and then working backwards to set out the steps to success.
What’s not to like?
At Synergy we have replaced our van fleet with diesel engine vehicles, as they have less harmful emissions per mile than unleaded petrol (LPG was considered, but is impractical due to our predominantly rural operating area and limited supply points). We have recently advertised for a Procurement Manager to bring all procurement decisions in one place. This is in line with Green Fleet Review recommendations and Hot House recommendations about more sustainable purchasing decisions on items such as stationery, cleaning materials and office refreshments.
I personally have completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business with Cambridge University and recently attended a Business Leaders’ seminar in Austria hosted by Cambridge.
Achieving real sustainability improvements in your organisation is a great thing to do, with the added bonus of raising your profile at work and giving you a chance to ‘strut your stuff’ in an area which is becoming increasingly important in business. And let’s face it, no company’s going to argue with an initiative that will save money whilst improving quality!
Fiona Astin
Synergy Housing Group
July 2009
To contact Fiona, or to discuss how you can influence positive change for your business,
us or call +44 (0) 845 224 5657.