SUSTAINABILITY
creates and maintains
the conditions under which
humans and nature
can exist in
productive harmony.
What is a Sustainable Business?
How “Triple Bottom Line” practices impact
people, planet, and profit
Benefits of a Sustainable Business
How green initiatives can yield
enormous rewards
Sustainable Business Services
How Eco Solutions helps our clients,
"Go Green"
What is a Sustainable Business?
Stakeholders are increasingly aware of not only the impacts that organizations have on human and environmental health, but also the importance of global issues such as social justice and climate change. Businesses are facing broader and more urgent calls for sustainable action that's defined by meeting the needs of today's organizations without compromising the needs of future generations.
A sustainable or "green" business is an enterprise that adopts principles, policies, and practices that have a minimal negative impact or potentially a positive effect on the local or global community, environment, and economy - otherwise known as striving to meet what John Elkington, founder of the global sustainability movement, coined the "Triple Bottom Line" of people, planet, and profit.
People, the social equity bottom line, pertains to fair and beneficial business practices that pay living wages to its workers, provide gender equity, and ensure a healthy and safe work environment. The people category considers all stakeholders (versus solely shareholders) including employees, communities within which a company operates, individuals within the supply chain, customers, and future generations.
Planet, the environmental bottom line, endeavors to benefit the natural order as much as possible or at least do no harm and minimize environmental impacts. This includes a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, energy usage, water consumption, how much waste is sent to landfills, and how safely and legally any toxic waste created is disposed of.
Profit, the prosperity bottom line, is seen as the real economic benefit enjoyed by the host society. It is through a business's environmental and economic impacts, such as the creation of employment, generating clean innovation, paying taxes, and wealth creation, that prosperity is realized.
“Businesses are invested in America’s communities, and a clean, healthy environment is critical for quality of life and economic strength in every community.” - U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Benefits of a Sustainable Business
Environmentally-friendly business practices can yield enormous rewards, both for the environment and the business. These renewed policies and practices reflect shifts in how companies use resources that include improved environmental awareness, waste reduction and recycling, energy management, water efficiency and protection, green purchasing, clean transportation, and resilient grounds keeping. Their eco-friendly return on investment not only equals cost savings, brand enhancement, greater efficiency, and customer affinity, but also employee motivation, environmental protection, and business resiliency.
Cost Savings
There are many ways companies can save money by "Going Green" that include energy and water-efficient products and practices; tax credits and government and utility incentives; a healthier work environment and fewer employee sick days; better conservation and use of natural resources; as well as less waste. These cost-saving benefits also promote greater efficiencies due to more streamlined business operations.
Brand Enhancement
When businesses implement sustainable practices, they demonstrate values of care and concern that reach beyond short-term gains for the long-term benefit of the greater good, and consumers today are taking notice. A recent Neilson global on-line survey indicated that 66% of its worldwide study respondents are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products and services and find environmentally-conscious companies and brands to be more appealing to clients, customers, and employees. Green factors such as goods made from natural, fresh, organic ingredients; sustainable business practices; brands recognized for their social value; and environmentally-friendly packaging were the top-cited indicators of this growing appeal. The natural byproduct of a green company's environmental stewardship is a strengthened reputation, an eco-friendly image, and a conscientious brand.
Greater Efficiency
Eco-friendly businesses benefit from greater efficiency through streamlined management practices that use fewer natural resources, produce less waste, and promote green initiatives and innovation. This in turn optimizes employee performance and morale thereby generating higher quality products and services for customers. The result is cost savings, increased profitability, and a higher-level of competition. Green efficiencies also reduce a company's carbon footprint as well as strengthen their capacity to better manage risk and resiliency in a time of rapidly changing environmental, social, and economic unrest.
Customer Affinity
Consumers today are rapidly becoming more sophisticated and aware of their impacts on environmental health, social equity, and economic resiliency, and are strengthening their support and brand loyalty for businesses who share their values. Consumer research by The Natural Marketing Institute, found consumers, including eco-conscious millennials, are 58% more likely to buy a company’s products or services when they know that organization is mindful of its impact on society and the environment.
Employee Motivation
More employees today are motivated to work with businesses that align with their environmental values and where corporate sustainability is a priority. Recent UCLA studies found that employees at eco-friendly companies are 16% more productive than average, more motivated, better trained, and formed more interpersonal relationships, which in turn increased efficiency.
Environmental Health
Sustainable businesses benefit from a healthier natural environment in many ways that include reduced risk due to extreme weather thereby supporting healthy business operations; resource availability and affordability that supports supply chains; consumer preference for eco-friendly products and services; healthier working conditions, especially for outdoor workers vulnerable to extreme temperatures; and customer affinity for companies that prioritize environmental protection, sustainability, and a reduced carbon footprint.
Business Resiliency
In today's business and environmental climate, sustainability and resiliency have become interdependent particularly as 25% or more businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The disruption wrought by Covid-19 has armed companies with insight around the vulnerabilities of systemic risk and motivated many to reassess and initiate more sustainability with greater urgency. The byproduct of companies that utilize social, renewable, and natural resources efficiently are that they are much better able to navigate, withstand, and recover from the many unpredictable changes in today's resource availabilities, price fluctuations, and climate-related challenges.
Consumers Are Going Green.
Here's Why Businesses Should Care:
66% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for sustainable brands.
62% of consumers say their trust in a brand is #1 priority that drives their purchases.
70% of consumers in the U.S. and Canada think it's important that brands are sustainable.
Eco Solutions helps our clients become more informed and efficient in their resource use and waste generation while minimizing environmental impacts and maximizing savings.
Sustainable Business Services
Eco Solutions helps small businesses, non-profits, and other organizations “Go Green” by improving business operations through greater environmental awareness, efficiency, and sustainability. Whether your company is new to green business practices or wants to improve initiatives already in place, we can help your company move beyond environmental compliance and into sustainable practice.
Eco Solutions helps your business by:
Educating and instructing your company and its Green Team
Conducting an informative and collaborative Sustainability Assessment
Clarifying a compelling Environmental Mission Statement
Providing Best-Practice Solutions & Sustainable-Action Objectives
“Businesses are invested in America’s communities, and a clean, healthy environment is critical for quality of life and economic strength in every community. Companies across industries have undertaken sustainability initiatives to improve their operations and reduce their environmental footprint, utilizing new technology and seeking efficiency.”
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Instructing Your Company & Green Team
The most effective green team (or sustainability committee) members are often employers, managers, and employees who are passionate about the health and wellbeing of the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. They not only care about social equity, environmental protection, and economic prosperity but are also supported in their eco-friendly endeavors. Eco Solutions provides your company’s green team with sustainability education and training that empowers them to champion and engage other employees and stakeholders in your organization’s green goals and objectives.
Conducting a Sustainability Assessment
Eco Solutions conducts a non-technical assessment of our client's small business that includes a collaborative organizational walk through and inquiry. Our assessment incorporates a check-list and report format that provides a sustainability framework for business owners, managers, and employees and is based on organizational best practices that help clarify an environmentally-friendly mission and policy objectives.
Our Assessment Focus Areas include:
Awareness & Education
Waste Reduction & Recycling
Energy Efficiency
Water Conservation & Protection
Green Purchasing
Clean Transportation
Resilient Grounds Keeping
Did you know?
Eco Solutions helps save
natural resources by
using paperless
digital
assessment
tools.
Clarifying an Environmental Mission Statement
An environmental mission statement is the foundation of your organization's sustainability efforts. It provides your company and stakeholders with an understanding of why protecting the environment is important to you and your business. Eco Solutions helps your business clarify an environmental mission statement that captures your company's values and commitments to helping protect the environment, improve environmental stewardship, comply with relevant environmental laws and regulations, and promote sustainability.
Providing Best-Practice Solutions & Sustainable-Action Objectives
Once the Business Sustainability Assessment has been completed, we discuss the results with you and your green team by identifying any practices already implemented as well as sustainable areas for improvement. Depending on the size of your small business, the assessment-and-review process takes approximately three hours, whereby your company is provided with a digital report that highlights environmental-best practices, clarified objectives, and sustainable-action steps that can be used in your company’s green decision making.
“Eco Solutions and Anne were a treat to work with on our company's assessment. The meeting was informative and the information helpful. We believe we will be moving the needle in small ways by implementing some cost saving ideas that help make us better stewards of our world. Thank you, Anne!”
-Wendy Harris, Owner of Team Harris Real Estate, 2022 President of NC Realtors
“This was an eye-opening presentation! So glad to have Anne working with our community to make it a better, more sustainable place for us and future generations!”
-Josh Richardson, Sales Director, Influence Digital Agency
“Anne Schrader is brilliant as a national leader in integrating sustainability strategies. Anne (she) has taught me that in business, sustainability refers to doing business without negatively impacting the environment, community, or society as a whole.”
-LaVern Oxendine, MSW, Greater Fayetteville Chamber Business Specialist & Advocate, Commissioner, Member of the Lumbee Tribe
“Anne is an exceptionally knowledgeable professional with a true commitment to ecologically and economically sustainable solutions. She is an engaging speaker and educator and an effective, collaborative consultant that can guide communities, businesses and individuals to more efficient and healthier practices. Anne's ability to find opportunities for sustainability AND savings is outstanding! She is a delight to work with.”
-Kent Hill, Director of the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Fayetteville Technical Community College
“I learned so much today! Thank you, Anne for your inclusive presentation.”
-Jacene Deratany, Marketing Executive, Melaleuca the Wellness Company