What are the steps to develop a sustainability strategy for clients?

Here is my approach: 1. Assessment: Understand client operations and stakeholder expectations. 2. Goal Setting: Align sustainability goals with values and standards. 3. Engagement: Involve key stakeholders for commitment. 4. Implementation Plan: Outline initiatives, responsibilities, timelines, and measurable targets. 5. Metrics and Reporting: Track KPIs, establish transparent reporting. 6. Continuous Improvement: Adapt strategy based on evolving priorities and opportunities. 7. Communication: Share successes, challenges, and impact with stakeholders. 8. Technology Integration: Use innovative tech for energy efficiency and data analytics. Sustainability is an ongoing journey; a well-crafted strategy ensures lasting positive change.

Carry out a thorough evaluation of the client's present environmental and social impact, noting areas in need of improvement. Work together with the customer to define specific sustainability goals and objectives that complement their principles and accepted business practices. Ensure that there are procedures in place for continuous monitoring, measurement, and reporting in order to track progress and make any necessary adjustments. Develop a comprehensive action plan that outlines particular projects, dates, and accountable parties. Finally, involve stakeholders in the sustainability strategy's communication and cultivate an organizational culture of social and environmental responsibility inside the client.

You can't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been and you can't know where you're going if you don't know where you are. You have to do an analysis of the company landscape -in all areas. Once you have an accurate view of the state of the company, then you can proceed to the next step.

One thing I have found helpful is defining the vision and goals after assessing the current state of a client's sustainability performance. It's akin to charting a course; understand where the client stands before setting sail. Through careful evaluation, we identify strengths and weaknesses. Picture it as sculpting a vision; crafting specific goals aligned with the client's aspirations. This strategic approach ensures that the sustainability strategy is tailored to address specific challenges and leverage existing strengths. By marrying vision with a realistic assessment, the sustainability strategy becomes a roadmap, guiding the client toward a future where environmental, social, and economic goals seamlessly converge.

The next step is to layout the vision and define the goals. The vision must be centered around and focused on your "WHY". The vision cannot just be some words displayed on a wall in pretty font. It must be able to be lived and breathed throughout the organization. It must be lived out loud by the leadership and it must be clearly conveyed to the team so that executable strategies and daily action can be taken to achieve those goals and realize the vision.

Be specific about the initiatives. No more than three key focus areas. If you can't execute well you'll never sustain it. Implement initiatives, strategies and actions that will drive to the goal, allow for repeatable success, and create sustainability over time.

Having clarity on what to achieve is essential, making this important to consider how approach goals that is sustainable. Implementation requires processes and that should be effectively communicated. Regular communication of the process and involving the team helps achieve the goal. Engagement should include taking feed backs and listening and developing on the ideas shared. Take feedback in the difficulties and ease of process implementation at regular intervals, taking open feedback encourages discussion and helps in identifying the loopholes and involvement of the team also ensures easy adaptation and sustainability.

While the steps themselves are fairly comprehensive, I don’t agree with the order of the steps presented. A “sustainability strategy” can mean many different things, and take on many different forms, so defining an initial focus and set of boundaries is key. For example, what is driving the need for a strategy? Is it Regulatory disclosures? Shareholder pressure? Competitive/market pressure? Second, the relevant stakeholder groups should be identified - based on the focus and boundaries - as this body will be key to developing the vision and determining the material topics to be included in the sustainability strategy/plan. From that point, assessing the current state, and establishing the baseline, is the natural next step.

Developing a sustainability strategy for clients involves assessing their current impact, engaging stakeholders, setting clear goals, analyzing gaps, formulating a comprehensive plan, implementing initiatives, and monitoring progress towards sustainability objectives.