Sustainability Planning

In recent years, sustainability has become a cornerstone of organizational planning. Taking into account the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the actions taken by businesses and municipalities, sustainability is a complex. Many organizations from local to international are beginning to require that suppliers and partners not only report on sustainability, but also consider sustainability as part of their business model, taking sustainability into account as part of the decision-making process. Organizations need to closely monitor and manage their entire supply chain, considering both upstream suppliers and downstream effects, to comply with sustainability requirements. For municipalities, integrating sustainability into operations often takes long-term action and incremental changes. As sustainability becomes an expected and important part of an organization’s planning, many municipalities and businesses alike are left to wonder: what is sustainability planning? Furthermore, how does this all culminate in a sustainability plan?

In simple terms, a Sustainability Plan is a document that outlines goals, challenges, and opportunities for action that a business or municipality can use to align itself with sustainable best practices, taking into account the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social impact. It is the product of strong, coordinated sustainability planning efforts. Sustainability Plans are similar to business or development plans, but they focus on sustainable initiatives and the organization’s impact on the world around them. While many think primarily about the environmental aspects of sustainability, a Sustainability Plan can include any combination of the three pillars of sustainability, depending on the organization’s goals. For example, some municipalities’ Sustainability Plans go hand-in-hand with their economic development and infrastructure plans. Additionally, some businesses address diversity in the workplace in their Sustainability Plans.

Generally, Sustainability Plans are completed by a planning team that has a common understanding of sustainability as a whole, as well as the overarching goals and principles of the organization. To begin the process, they ask questions such as:

• What maturity level is the organization currently at in terms of sustainability?
• Are there any baseline environmental metrics that will affect the long-term sustainability goals?
• What are some major priorities of the organization?
• What sorts of stakeholders should be involved in the planning process?
• How do we ensure accountability throughout the organization?

The Sustainability Plan, upon completion, should reflect the answers to these questions. It should also take into account perspectives from various organizational stakeholders. These perspectives can come from different committees and subcommittees, financial advisors, public engagement sessions for municipalities, or commission groups. There is not an exact science to deciding which stakeholders are most important to your organization when it comes to building a Sustainability Plan, but successful Sustainability Plans consider a wide range of viewpoints from throughout the organization. Through incorporating various departments, whether in a municipality or a business, the entire organization can become involved in the sustainability planning process.

As organizations work through the sustainability planning process, multiple hurdles can come up. Factors such as finding the right focus, driving cooperation with stakeholders, and advancing goals in a realistic yet aggressive manner can cause roadblocks in the way of developing and publishing an initial Sustainability Plan. Addressing these challenges requires thoughtful analysis and collaboration. However, this process also provides valuable insights, revealing both the strengths and weaknesses within the organization. As the planning team works through difficult issues, they may uncover areas that are performing well and identify parts of the organization that have been overlooked or need further support. This deeper understanding helps ensure that all components are considered and can lead to a more effective and comprehensive Sustainability Plan. Still, the benefits of advancing sustainability planning for an organization of any kind can create both short- and long-term successes.

Municipalities and businesses alike can benefit from sustainability planning for a multitude of reasons. For municipalities, sustainability planning can change the landscape of a city’s development. Sustainability planning can help a city’s governance align on action items and goals through garnering input from various departments. From transportation to education, the many departments that make up a local government have the opportunity to work closely to reach their goals. Often, these departments work on specific areas in a city—for example, a city’s Parks and Recreation Department that is responsible for maintaining and managing public parks facilities. During day-to-day city operations, these departments may not overlap much with other city departments. Sustainability planning gives city departments a way to explore the intersection between their priorities and how the city can best balance multiple interests.

For businesses, sustainability planning can herald a number of benefits. Businesses of all sizes can benefit from sustainability planning. Smaller businesses can leverage their sustainability plans as a means to dictate how best to allocate resources, where larger businesses can outline long-term visions to satisfy investors. Sustainability planning can appeal to key stakeholders, like investors, through demonstrating a commitment to long-term value, risk management, and responsible business practices that can enhance brand reputation and attract investment opportunities. This can, in turn, enhance opportunities for fundraising and appeal to a growing audience, improving fiscal health throughout the company. Additionally, sustainability planning can protect a business’ brand and mitigate a number of risks, from human and environmental to financial. This gives the company a competitive advantage against peers through reducing the amount of time and capital spent solving problems as they appear.

For many businesses, sustainability planning is required by different supply chain members. Multiple reporting frameworks such as CDP and B-Corp are beginning to become essential annual reports on all ends of the supply chain, especially when working with international stakeholders. These reporting frameworks take a holistic, well-rounded approach at addressing organizations’ economic, social, and environmental impacts. Even if a business is not required to report to any sustainability frameworks, opting-in to these frameworks can help a business with planning initiatives, as most frameworks provide targeted feedback and methods for improvement for each of the organizations that submit annual data.

Many municipalities and businesses are already integrating sustainability planning into their business practices, including Sustainability Plans. Here at Energy Sciences, we make sure to incorporate sustainability planning into our business practices. Our Guiding Principles—Adaptability, Collaboration, Excellence, Stewardship, and Well-Being—are closely linked to the principles of sustainability and the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, Energy Sciences supports the work of a Sustainability Committee that meets monthly to continue implementing elements of sustainability into our work. This Committee is made up of multi-disciplinary members of the Energy Sciences team, meaning that multiple perspectives and work experiences are considered in creating the company’s Sustainability Plan. Annually, the Sustainability Committee reviews our Sustainability Policy, which lays out the impact areas that are assessed by the company, annual goals, and plans for transparency.

To address various impact areas, Energy Sciences assesses our impact on land, air and water quality, waste reduction, material use, and biodiversity. These assessments enable us to compile data and report our findings to any necessary clients or supply-chain members. Additionally, the Committee makes sure to communicate key sustainability information to all employees at least once annually, including: annual sustainability initiatives, decision-making criteria for the initiatives, and progress and other supporting data from initiative implementation. This allows for an open stream of communication between Committee members and other employees regarding sustainability planning.

Energy Sciences’ method of sustainability planning is just one of a number of techniques that businesses and municipalities can take on. Sustainability planning is unique to each organization, prioritizing the goals and initiatives that are most material to the organization’s operations.

While sustainability planning can seem like a daunting task, it can also enable organizations to learn more about their priorities, strengths, and challenges. Through sustainability planning efforts, organizations of all forms and sizes can look forward in time and create personalized plans to reach their environmental, social, and economic goals.

If your organization or business is interested in becoming more sustainable, let’s connect! Our passionate team is ready to help you to start planning.

Article written by: Katie Percha, Energy Sciences Consultant