Sustainability in business means balancing the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. This approach ensures businesses not only generate financial returns but also support the well-being of their employees and communities (people) while protecting and conserving the environment (planet). By integrating these principles, businesses can achieve long-term success, reduce risks, and make a positive impact.
Sustainability is a crucial part of running a successful business in the NT. It offers opportunities for cost savings, enhances your brand, and contributes to a positive environmental and social impact. Embracing sustainable practices ensures long-term viability, helps meet compliance requirements, and provides a competitive edge in the market. Sustainability also attracts talented staff, helps a business manage risk, meets investor expectations, and strengthens community connections.
A Sustainability Strategy is a plan that helps businesses operate in an environmentally, socially, and economically responsible way. It outlines goals and actions to reduce environmental impact, improve resource efficiency, and support community well-being, ensuring long-term success while meeting stakeholder expectations.
Once you have a Sustainability Strategy it is time to make an Action Plan.
A Sustainability Action Plan is a practical roadmap that outlines specific steps a business will take to improve its environmental, social, and economic performance. It includes clear goals, timelines, and measurable actions to reduce waste, conserve resources, lower emissions, and enhance community engagement. This plan helps businesses turn sustainability commitments into meaningful outcomes.
The comprehensive action plan is a detailed roadmap, carefully aligned with your business goals. This plan lays out long-term strategies, specific actions, timelines, and accountability measures. It helps integrate sustainability into the core of your business, ensuring that every step you take is leading toward those broader goals.
Download a sample comprehensive Sustainability Action Plan
Credit: Department of Business
The one-page action plan is a much shorter, focused summary of key activities. This is not about the big picture but about having a quick reference to your immediate sustainability actions. It’s something you can revisit annually to assess your progress and make adjustments.
Both are important because the comprehensive plan gives you direction and vision, while the one-page plan keeps you on track, helping you stay adaptable and responsive to change without losing sight of your long-term goals.
Download a sample One Page Action Plan
Creating an emissions profile is an important step in doing a Sustainability Strategy, because it will show you how you are improving over time.
Learn about Greenhouse Gas Emissions reporting how to create an Emissions profile here:
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting
Download a copy of the COOLmob presentation from 2024 October Business Month and contact COOLmob to find out how you can get started on your workplace Sustainability plan:
COOLmob Sustainability Workshop for Business Part 1COOLmob Sustainability Workshop for Business Part 2