The most effective approach to making your business more sustainable starts with an assessment. Take the time to answer quantitative questions that apply to your situation: How many kilowatt hours have we used per month over the past two years? What is our estimated carbon footprint in tons? What do our products consume in packaging? There may be a temptation or pressure to jump right into implementation. Don’t give in. Develop the data you need for an assessment to assure the long term success of your sustainability transformation.
Why is specific data so important to have at hand? If you don’t begin with a baseline, anticipated savings remain invisible, or very difficult to calculate in a rear view mirror. Most programs lose steam without a grounding in hard data. Demonstrable savings and benefits help drive new behaviors. People are less likely to apply themselves over time without metrics. Opposition to change will gain ground without readily measurable evidence of progress.
Always start by nailing down how much is at stake. It takes more work up front to implement a strategic commitment to sustainability, but it gives you the yardstick you must have to not only gauge performance, but to assure it. If you don’t measure it, you won’t save it.
