Sustainability - Insights and Ideas

Sustainability – Insights and Ideas

The term “sustainability,” once an obscure ecological concept, has now been adopted by many in the business world to connote the principles of social and environmental responsibility. Progressive businesses have recognized that profitability alone does not guarantee continuity, and that sustainability contributes to long-term shareholder value. Likewise, investors increasingly see sustainability issues such as controlling greenhouse gases as “material” concerns that must be addressed by management.

Today, business leaders in every industry have adopted sustainability as a strategic imperative, although some prefer other terms, such as “corporate citizenship” or “sustainable growth.” In addition to customers and shareholders, corporations are beginning to consider the interests of a broader range of stakeholders, including employees, local communities, regulators, lenders, suppliers, business partners, and advocacy groups.

Many have adopted the so-called “triple bottom line”— economic prosperity, environmental protection, and social responsibility—as a basis for measuring and reporting their sustainability performance. The emerging view is that there is a strong business case for sustainability, although actual quantification of the value remains challenging. Sustainable business practices go beyond corporate governance, codes of conduct, and engagement with stakeholders.

charlotte grezo - CSR - Arcus Balancing CSR and Risk Management: Ms. Charlotte Grezo, Group Director, Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy, Centrica plc. on finding the balance.

Embedding Sustainability in an Organization

Embedding Sustainability in an Organization: Ms. Jody Kuzenko, GM, Sustainability at Vale Base Metals says, embedding sustainability is a success driver.

Green strategy and Revenue Growth: Detlev Zwick, PhD, Professor of Marketing, Schulich School of Business, York University on green growth.

Additional information

Arcus offers advisory services and expertise on the business impact of climate change to several leading organizations. As a Renewable Energy Consulting Firm located in Toronto, we are striving to increase the understanding and adoption of low carbon and sustainable practices. Over the past year, Arcus helped over 20 companies in the area of sustainability practices, low carbon strategies and customer engagement. Learn more.

Our services include client successes in the following areas:

Regulatory environment – Our research with 1,200 business leaders confirms that the regulatory environment and related complexities are a significant concern. Developing scenarios on future carbon regulation and carbon prices, rent shifts in the value chain, stakeholder impact and the appropriate strategic response

Sustainable business practices – Develop low carbon business practices that have a significant impact on revenue, costs and consumer demand.

Optimize supply chain– Our assessment tools enable clients to benchmark their supply chain carbon footprint and optimize key components of their operations.

Improve Energy Efficiencies – Helping a major city to achieve emission reduction targets for buildings despite increasing demand for energy and growing emissions

Sustainability Risk Management – Our Sustainability Risk Management services are aimed at helping our clients evaluate companies across these criteria to better understand which companies are doing a better job than their peers at incorporating these issues into the broader governance of the organization.

Carbon trading – Conducting due diligences for low-/high-carbon targets, including the assessment of strategic options for benefiting from carbon trading opportunities and the development of emission certificate trading strategies. Setting up a trading unit for a major utility

Corporate sustainability strategy – Our evaluation tools give clients a high level of transparency in their operations and opportunities to identify high cost areas related potential sustainable practices. Outcomes include lower carbon footprints, higher employee morale and stronger corporate sustainability “green” reputations.

Industry knowledge and functional expertise

Our industry and sustainable practice knowledge coupled with functional expertise helps our clients understand issues and opportunities quickly and device practical strategies that lead to tangible results. We have conducted over 10 leading studies of consumer and business attitudes and action across several industries. These studies are available to our clients to help manage challenges more effectively.