Business Sustainability: How Do You Compare?

A common misconception by many organizations is that a company has to offer a green product or service to reap the benefits from a business sustainability mindset or culture. Not true! In fact, many of the great sustainability-focused companies in the world do not necessarily offer any “green” products or services; yet they still see tremendous value in applied sustainability concepts or overarching business sustainability programs.

In our daily interactions with businesses as a sustainability consultant, it is routine for corporate leaders to comment about how ‘green’ they believe a company to be or inquire about how they compare to others. Our side of this conversation rarely focuses exclusively on the end-product.   At Taiga Company, we view there to be a clear distinction between a “green” product or service offering and a sustainable company.

For many, the definition of ‘greenness’ is largely dependent on an outward projection of the business rather than its internal workings. While offering ‘green’ products and services is one path, we tend to include the entirety of business in the conversation by asking:

•    Who are your business sustainability stakeholders and how do you engage them to create alignment across the organization?

•    What sustainable action differentiates you from the competition: actions, measurements, innovative thinking?

•    How are you partnering in business to create shared value to drive deeper, faster, more impactful solutions?

For many organizations, offering a green product or service provides a variety of advantages that does not necessarily create a sustainable or green company. Today’s sustainability leaders are taking business sustainability to the next level. They are moving past the idea of improved corporate reputation or tapping into the green market.

While the goal is creating a step change in sustainable performance, our small business resources work directly with clients to create a business case for sustainability. Our sustainability consulting works with clients who view sustainable action to be the defining characteristic of a green company.