Todays Opportunities - Sustainability
Consultants . Accountants . Auditors . Advisors . Attorneys
Creating a sustainable business
Does your company practice responsible leadership?
Stakeholders expect your company to generate profits, but, they also want your company to make a positive contribution to our societies while minimizing any negative effect it might have on the environment. This approach to business, balancing economic interests against social and environmental concerns, is commonly referred to as sustainability.
Over the past decade, sustainability has moved from the fringes of the business world to the top of stakeholders' agenda. The concept of sustainability has gained grip among corporate employees, regulators, and customers too. Consequently, any miscalculation or misjudgment of matters related to sustainability can have serious repercussions on how the world views your company and its values.
For business management, finding the right balance among the economic, social, and environmental goals is the essence of "responsible leadership." In practice, responsible leadership means integrating ethical considerations into company decision-making process, and managing on the basis of personal integrity and widely-held organizational values. Responsible leaders manage for the common good and gain authority and legitimacy in direct proportion to their success in serving others.
Is that kind of leadership readily available in the market? Clearly, a perfect balance of all competing interests is difficult to achieve and managers are bound to make mistakes in the process. Nevertheless, most stakeholders are adamantly in favor of businesses dealing with sustainability issues in an honest and open fashion. Therefore, first thing first, companies must establish trust between themselves and their various stakeholders’ communities. Sometimes, the process of establishing trust can be really slow, but it starts by understanding stakeholders' concerns and acknowledging them. Only after you've identified stakeholder issues can you start to prioritize them and develop suitable approach and outreach programs.
At Ladlas Prince, customers look to us both for our focused sustainability skills, as well as the credibility we bring in establishing trust with stakeholders and the wider public. We advise customers that getting on the right side of sustainability will make considerable demands of their time and resources. That's simply the price responsible leaders pay! Is your business ready to assume greater responsibility? If not, areas where we can help include the following:
- Corporate social responsibility strategy design and deployment
- Assessment and reporting of non-financial information
- Work climate change and training
- Transaction support on issues concerning environmental health and safety and corporate reputation
- Supply-chain risk management