How to Write an Effective Sustainability Initiative

Tips

Feb 11

Sustainability initiatives are how you take sustainability from idea to process. Many small businesses have an idea of what they want to do, have done their version of an audit, but aren’t sure how to create an effective initiative to make sustainability happen. An initiative usually comes after the audit.

In this case, an initiative is a task to achieve sustainability in business. Whether you’re trying to reduce waste or water, you want to achieve something to make sustainability happen in your business.

A sustainability initiative fits in when you say, “I’d like our energy bill to be lower,” or “Can we figure out a way to increase recycled materials in our products?” The step, the thought that you have, that’s your initiative.

“An initiative fits in when you say, “I’d like our energy bill to be lower,” or “Can we figure out a way to increase recycled materials in our products?” The step, the thought that you have, that’s your initiative. ”

First, this blog will explain how to write the initiative so it’s crystal clear to employees what their goal is. The next blog will get into how to motivate employees to complete these tasks and how to set employees up for initiative success.

Great! Let’s get started.

In this blog, I’m explaining exactly how to create an effective sustainability initiative for one area. You can apply this method to as many areas as you want. This is the strategy behind developing a single initiative.

The best way to develop an initiative is to go through a "who what when where why how" process. This way you’re gathering information, while also producing sufficient information to share with employees.

So, you start with a comprehensive idea of what to reduce. Let’s use energy for an easy example.

“Our company wants to reduce energy.” Simple, but broad. Let’s work through this statement to determine how to transcribe it into a workable initiative.

I recommend building an Excel template or a table with "who what when where why how" as headers and then filling in the information. A document will make initiatives easier to share. And give you the capacity to add or brainstorm.

Get Your Own Initiative Template

We never share emails.

Who

Who is going to be responsible for reducing energy? "Everyone," You might say. And yes, you are correct, for energy, everyone needs to be on board. In this case, "who" is the motivational "who." Who will be responsible for sharing, planning and motivating people to reduce energy?

Pick a team or a person in command of the initiative. This person needs to have a reliable comprehension of company culture, know many people in the company, and be able to give directions easily.

What

Ok, the “what” is reducing energy. What does energy entail? Is energy electricity only, or all energy including HVAC? Get crystal clear on what you’re reducing, including the units. Are you trying to reduce a bill by a certain amount or the actual kWh or therms of fuel?

With something like “energy,” I would recommend starting with just electricity. It’s sort of like doing a test case.

For the “what,” it’s important to look at the item you’re reducing, in this case, electricity, and by how much. The second part, how much, is your best guestimate. Don’t get too caught up in the how much. It’s simply important to have a number to push for. And to have a number to measure adequately.

I recommend starting with a 5% or 10% reduction. Don’t be afraid to tweak your numbers as you move along. The initiative itself is more about ensuring team members are aware of what’s happening and to make sure you can communicate it effectively.

Having a set number to reduce also helps motivate people toward something. Especially if you can report back on progress and measure it against prior numbers.

Check out the goal-setting blog for more help with reduction numbers.

“Try to reduce electricity by 10%.” So your “what,” is the text of the initiative. In this case, “Reduce Electricity by 10%”

Where

The "where" should be pretty straightforward if you’re a smaller office. With multiple offices or locations or warehouses, get explicit about where you will be reducing electricity to meet the initiative.

In the electricity case, it could be, “Reduce electricity in California office by 10%.”

When

Then "when" can be interpreted in a few ways. When to start, when to finish, when to check in on the initiative. How long will this initiative last? Until it’s completed? Just this year?

For this “when” focus on how long you will be doing the initiative for. I recommend six months to a year, or until you complete it! Providing a concrete length of time lets employees know the duration and how they will be motivated.

How

The "how" involves some research on your end (or hiring a consultant!) Figure out the steps you need to take to meet the reduction.

For electricity, I recommend calling your energy company to get advice on how to reduce electricity. Your bill should also tell you when you use the most, both time of day or time of year. That should help you make changes.

For energy reduction, tips like LED bulbs, turning off lights and computers, and managing electricity consumption are all age-old habits. They work!

These are the steps to follow to get your initiative written down and formulated effectively. The next blog will talk about how to distribute to employees, share and get people motivated to perform to expectations.

Interested in initiatives? You might like the other blogs, How to Perform a Sustainability Audit or Why to Consider B Corp Certification.

Do you have any other questions about initiatives? Share in the comments. If you liked this blog, share it on social media or with a friend.