Company sustainability policies: which can you undertake in 1 week

What is meant by sustainability policies?

To understand what sustainability policies are, it is important to analyze what is meant by a sustainable business. A sustainable business is defined as such by a number of parameters:

• Is financially sound;
• attempts to improve the social impact of its actions towards key stakeholders (employees, customers, government, society) by promoting equal opportunities, human rights and community care;
• ensures that its activities (from production to consumption of goods and services) do not have a negative impact on the environment.

It is precisely the focus on environmental, social and governance dimensions that is a key factor differentiating a sustainable business from traditional enterprises.

The concept of sustainability policies and sustainable development is based precisely on 3 aspects:

• economic development;
• Social equity;
• environmental protection.

Sustainability policies, then, are those practices that are carried out with the aim of reducing one's negative impact and/or creating a positive impact through one's activity.

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Sustainability policies and ESG indicators

In addition to being beneficial to the environment, economy and society, sustainability policies have a direct effect on the ESG indicators, useful tools for identifying risks and opportunities related to the environmental, social, and governance spheres.

Having a strong ESG proposition generates a number of benefits for a company, including the ability to attract more investors, have better financial performance, reduce legal and regulatory risks, and be in line with the wishes of customers and employees.

Below we present 3 sustainability policies that can be implemented by any company, with a focus on their respective relationship to ESG indicators.

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If you would like to learn about other initiatives beyond these, the Up2You Insight team has created a guide with 9 sustainability policies you can undertake in 1 week. Click the link below and download it for free.

Download the free guide

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Sustainability policy No. 1: measuring carbon footprint

The activity to start with is definitely calculate one's carbon footprint, that is, the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere by business activities.

Knowing one's environmental impact is the first step in reducing it. What are the benefits?
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• Improving their reputation: consumers and consumers increasingly value companies that make sustainable choices. As a result, organizations that promote sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are more likely to earn the trust of their customers.
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• Reduce costs: some activities, in addition to reducing emissions, lead to a beneficial effect on one's portfolio. One example is power generation using renewable sources.
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• Attracting investment: a sustainable company allows it to attract more investment, enjoy lower insurance premiums and improve its credit rating.
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• Reduce risk: limiting one's dependence on fossil fuels can increase resilience against possible supply chain disruptions or price increases.

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Sustainability policy No. 2: Install LED lights.

LED lights are a much more efficient technology than traditional halogen or fluorescent lights and offer a number of advantages .
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• Lower energy consumption: LED lights consume an average of 60% less energy than conventional lights. This condition, combined with a longer average lifespan, allows companies to save money, as well as reduce their impact on the environment.
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• Longer life length: LED lights have an average life of 63,000 hours, about 10 times that of traditional lights. Thus, the convenience lies in the reduction of replacement and maintenance.
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• No warm-up time: traditional bulbs can take up to 15 minutes to warm up to full power, while LED lights need no initial time to reach full power.
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• Ability to make frequent switches: the inability to turn lights on and off many times during the day is one of the most significant problems for metal halides, which take 15-20 minutes to turn on. LEDs can be turned on or off instantly, without any degradation of the light produced or the instrument itself.
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• Use by sensor: by incorporating motion sensors, it is possible to increase the efficiency of using LED lights and, as a result, increase annual savings.
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Installing LED lamps is an action that requires little effort but generates significant savings in utility bills and maintenance costs for your business, and immediately reduces your environmental impact.
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Sustainability Policy No. 3: Promote flexible forms of work

Introducing flexible forms of work, such as letting staff choose their working hours or location, even for just one day a week, can have numerous benefits, both for the company and the environment. Which ones?
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• Better psychological health of workers: according to a Great Place to Work study, employees who work partly or completely remotely benefit from better psychological health than their colleagues and co-workers in the presence.
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• Improved work-life balance: in the same study, people who work remotely are more satisfied with their work-life balance.
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• Better job performance: when staff perceive that the company trusts and has a better work-life balance, they are more engaged, more productive and less likely to change jobs.
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• Reduced costs: reducing the number of men and women workers in offices can make more efficient use of space, lowering rental costs.
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• Attracting talent: Working men and women are increasingly showing interest in flexibility and remote work. Work organization can make a difference in choosing the company in which to work.

Interested in how much emissions you can save by working remotely?
Download our infographic on the environmental impact of working remotely.

9 sustainability policies you can undertake in 1 week: download free guide

As anticipated, these were just 3 of the sustainability policies you can start right away in your company. Want to find out what are all 9 sustainability policies you can undertake in 1 week? Fill out the form below and download our free guide!