Who leads the way for Sustainability at a company?

[Former Member]

Good day,

I have been reading books about companies that have created great projects to make their operations more socially responsible and sustainable. Companies like Patagonia, Stoneybrook Farms, New Belgium Brewing, and even Ford. The first three companies are relatively small and the leadership are individual visionaries that have made those companies so unique. At Ford, Bill Ford was responsible for driving the initiative that saw the refitting of the Rouge River plant into an environmental centerpiece.

Certainly the visionary leaders stand out and make for great copy in a book about sustainability. The smaller scale programs that are starting at different companies aren't going to get the attention.

There are going to be challenges instituting sustainability. I can tell you what I've heard from others. There have been people that don't see larger goals and so complain about what they consider as personal inconveniences. A friend at another company related a story about how a sustainability effort was poorly communicated by a middle-manager who described it primarily in terms of compliance. Therefore, the people in that group not only were not inspired, but only saw this as a cost-cutting move disguised as a sustainability initiative.

What have you seen that has worked at your workplace?

Regards,

Bob

[Former Member]

Hello Bob,

We have lauanched a broad number of tasks to communicate effectively the significance of Sustainability or Carbon management. Like Weekly Email campaigns on a selected topic, organizing a join efforts, display of hoarding at places where employees frequent a lot, use of systems for common car pooling, creating separate bays for parking bycycles and organizing brain storming session with SMEs on the topics of sustainability and Carbon. Even we did surveys invloving all the employees to fill in the information on what they see - are major areas - company would be working on.

Being a Core Team memeber of Go Green Campaign what I have seen is its not the individual but the set of activities, which actually motivates employees to better particpate. If they find the initiative liked to their day to day activities they participate even more.

Thanks

Jayakumar

[marilyn_pratt]

What I see at SAP is a group of internal sustainability champions who have now been given a real executive boost by being recognized as advocates, movers and shakers. These folks target topics that range from facility management improvements, waste, energy and social responsibility in the workplace and much of their grassroots personal activism is given a more globally supported environment in which to collaborate and grow ideas.

I think if you check with one of my own team members, [Linda Bortolus|http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/10940] [original link is broken] [original link is broken] [original link is broken];, located in your office, you can also hear some very interesting and inspiring stories of her personal push to impact wider behaviors whether they be in the office or during SAP events.

[Bob_McGlynn]

Marilyn,

Thank you for pointing the way. This is exactly what I was looking for, how someone within a company could influence sustainability issues.

I do believe that the people who are reading this forum are not the executives and want to be able to communicate how it's working - how people like us can make a difference.

Certainly I will contact Linda and communicate back to this forum any insights, tips or inspirations.

You are great - thanks for your guidance!

Bob