Five Surprising Departments Which Need Sustainability

Sustainability training in Houston will naturally gravitate to Energy, space aeronautics and finance.  Even outside these sectors, sustainability touches all the companies which have anything to do with energy, water, agriculture, population and waste.  That means all companies.  Within companies, HSE is concerned with sustainability – health, safety, and environment are integral to sustainable workplaces and a sustainable world.  Communications are tapped with reporting.  But you work in HR , so why should you care?

HR – Companies take three to eighteen months to bring new employees up to speed.  Often the return on investment takes up to 24 months.  The last thing you want is for an employee to leave too soon.  Sustainability is often purpose driven.  Millennials are purpose driven.  Volunteerism increases employee satisfaction.  A diverse workforce invites the best talent.  HR professionals need to build the Social component of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) into their strategic planning.

R&D – Climate change is changing resource allocation –  which are in abundance and which are scarce.  When determining the annual budget for R&D, one needs to forecast those changes for one’s industry.  If you are freshwater dependent, what saltwater R&D might benefit?  Aging fleets need emergent technologies to lengthen viability.  Manufacturing constantly strives for lighter, stronger? What tech will take you into the next 20 years?

Accounting – You’re counting more than beans!  And even if it were beans, is there a more efficient, cost-effective way to harvest those beans?  Some sustainable practices have the shorter returns on investment.  Profit drives what a company can provide to people and planet – the triple bottom line.  How can you make the business case to do what stakeholders are demanding and stay in budget?

Legal – Lawyers manage risk.  What risks are on the horizon for your company?  Failing on the sustainability issues most relevant to your sector can land you in court – expensive!  Sustainability is largely about mitigating risk as the reciprocal of opportunity.  The scandals which don’t hit the papers, what you don’t spend on legal fees, the time not spent before a judge open resources to make a stronger company.

Sales – Your company is a stop in someone’s supply chain.  Being able to say you have sustainability certifications, community support, have cleaned up your own supply chain, have a smaller carbon footprint than competitors, have won awards for community service – give you a competitive advantage.  If sustainability is not part of your marketing, you are missing that demographic which is purpose driven, those looking for sustainable investments or companies which have made their own commitment to sustainability.

Not just these five,  EVERY department is impacted by sustainability.  Make yourself and your company more attractive to customers and investors by investing in the next Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2019 in Houston, September 26-27, 2019.  This course offers a pragmatic methodology and tools to implement a corporate sustainability program.  Learns the “how  to” of identifying stakeholders, material issues, goals, implementation and reporting.