Sustainability: business, life, environment

Working as a sustainability consultant, it is not uncommon for peers and friends to comment to us about how ‘green’ they believe a company to be.  For many, the definition of ‘greenness’ is largely dependent on the outward projection of the business rather than its internal workings.  At Taiga Company, we view there to be a clear distinction between a green product or service offering and a sustainable business.

Many of the great sustainability-focused companies in the world do not necessarily offer green products or services.  Take for example British Petroleum (BP), the company produces end-products that many would have a hard time arguing were exactly environmentally friendly or green.  However, BP is in many ways considered by some to be a leading organization in business sustainability, with executive support and a commitment to providing corporate transparency as the link between sustainability metrics and company performance.

In comparison, there are green products and services offered by companies that have less defined business sustainability programs.  For many of these organizations, offering a green product or service provides a variety of advantages that don’t necessarily create a sustainable or green business:

•    Product meets a consumer need
•    Product expands company portfolio into the green market
•    Products improves company image

Today’s sustainability leaders are taking business sustainability to the next level.  They are moving past the idea of making their products and services simply green.  Our sustainability consulting works with clients who view sustainable action to be a greater defining characteristic of a green company than simply providing a green product or service. 

At Taiga Company, our professional consulting practice encourages clients to find innovative ways to extract the broad value offering of business sustainability.  Our small business resources work directly with clients to create a business case for sustainability.  We help companies define specific sustainability concepts that match their business value drivers.  The goal is to create a step change in sustainable performance and a continuous process for improvement.