More on Sustainability
Introduction
Organisations face a broad range of sustainability issues that span environmental, social and economic dimensions.
Some sustainability issues that an organisation might need to consider:
- Environmental Sustainability Issues
- Carbon Emissions / Climate Change
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Adapting to climate risks
- Energy Use
- Shifting to renewable energy sources
- Improving energy efficiency
- Water Management
- Reducing water consumption
- Managing wastewater and pollution
- Waste Management
- Minimising landfill use
- Promoting recycling and circular economy
- Biodiversity & land use
- Avoiding deforestation
- Protecting ecosystems and wildlife
- Pollution
- Controlling air, water and soil pollution
- Reducing noise and light pollution
- Sustainable Supply Chains
- Using eco-friendly materials
- Reducing transport emissions
- Social Sustainability Issues
- Employee Wellbeing
- Health, safety and work-life balance
- Fair wages and working conditions
- Diversity, equity & inclusion
- Promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace
- Addressing systemic inequalities
- Community engagement
- Supporting local communities
- Social investment and volunteering
- Indigenous rights and cultural heritage
- Respecting First Nations peoples and knowledge
- Ensuring free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)
- Human Rights
- Preventing child and forced labour
- Upholding ethical practices across the value chain
- Economic Sustainability Issues
- Long-term Financial Viability
- Avoiding short-termism
- Investing in sustainable innovation
- Ethical Governance
- Transparent decision-making
- Accountability and anti-corruption
- Sustainable Procurement
- Choosing responsible vendors and partners
- Balancing cost with environmental and social impact
- Risk Management
- Preparing for regulatory changes, eg, carbon pricing
- Managing sustainability-related reputational risks
- Product Stewardship
- Designing sustainable products and services
- Full lifecycle responsibility
- Cross-cutting Issues
- Sustainability Reporting & Transparency
- ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) disclosure
- Using frameworks like GRI, TCFD, or SASB
- Stakeholder engagement
- Communicating with stakeholders like investors, customers, regulators, suppliers, etc
- Listening to employee and community voices
- Sustainable innovation
- Green technology
- Business model transformation (eg from ownership to service-based)
(main source: https://sdgs.un.org/goals)