Sustainability Management Strategies – Set up a Sustainability Management Program

Sustainability management is a continuing process that must become an integral part of the business operations. Sustainability management is not a single act but a process. 

The site Sustainability Management Policy is the statement of the overall goals of the program but this needs to be supported by a framework for sustainability management in the business, i.e., the sustainability road map, and the concrete plans to improve sustainability – this is the Sustainability Management Program. 

Companies need to establish a business-oriented Sustainability Management Program and there needs to be a permanent framework for this. This is too important to be another management fad. 

Sites need a clear financial and organizational framework for what they want (or need) to achieve. The needs will be defined by the identified actions (see Sustainability Tip of the Month 4) and the sustainability road map will provide the strategy. 

Setting up a sustainability management program can not only reduce a company’s costs for energy, water and waste but also provide companies with robust case for continued operations. 

A good sustainability program focused on reducing sustainability costs can be profitable and reduce overall costs by up to 15%. 

Companies need to stop thinking about sustainability purely in terms of costs and risks – sustainability could be the greatest opportunity ever. 

Action: 

• Use the Sustainability Management Policy and the sustainability road map as the basis for a complete Sustainability Management program.
• The program must cover:

Program resources – finance and personnel. 

Program project assessment, selection and management. 

Program progress reporting. 

• Goals for improvement.

Dr. Robin Kent is the author of ‘Sustainability Management in Plastics Processing’, published by the British Plastics Federation and Managing Director of Tangram Technology Ltd. (www.tangram.co.uk), consulting engineers for energy and sustainability management in plastics processing.

Also read:

• “Prepare a Sustainability Road Map for your Company”
• “Map Actions on Materiality”
• “Review where you are in Sustainability Management”
• “Top Management Commitment“
• “Create a Site Sustainability Management Policy“