Along with individuals, companies have also become more conscientious about the environment and know that they must take action to protect it. However, a lack of know-how or more outcome-driven priorities often mean businesses don’t always wind up walking the walk. Unsurprisingly, this focus on profitability has a negative impact on employees too, since they wind up feeling like cogs in a wheel rather than part of a work culture that they can appreciate and enjoy. Here’s how companies can better incorporate sustainability in the workplace.

Where are we now?

• Currently, only about a third of the 600 largest US companies have any sustainability oversight at the executive level.

• Companies that genuinely care will create the right conditions to support sustainability in the workplace.

• Workplace sustainability refers not just to caring about the environment, but also the people - social sustainability.

What can you do?

• Build a culture of sustainability - define sustainability objectives, assess the current situation, and make the necessary changes for a more sustainable workplace.

• This can mean updating to greener devices, going paperless and encouraging recycling.

• For social sustainability, companies must encourage diversity and inclusion, promote work-life balance and social cohesion.

What’s next?

• A sustainable work environment also reflects externally, helping to build a positive reputation for the company.

• To make their sustainability efforts more impactful in the long run, companies must select a few key areas of focus and set measurable goals. This way, slowly but surely we can achieve organisation-wide sustainability.

For a sustainability programme to be effective, companies must regard it as a living, integral part of the company that needs to evolve over time. An effective sustainability programme provides an actionable roadmap to drive sustainability both in nature and at work.

1. Here are some ways to improve workers’ job satisfaction levels to improve social sustainability in the workplace.

2. Want more ideas on how to create a sustainable work environment?

3. Here’s a step-by-step guide to building a sustainability-driven business.