What if our planet came with care instructions? If it did, would we be better citizens? From a professional consultant's point of view, we do have care instructions for our planet . The care instructions are commonly known in the sustainability field as: Corporate Social Responsibility, sustainability and green. Each addressing directly and indirectly sustainability concepts we can include in our thought processes and business approaches to preserve the earth's resources.
CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility is defined on a corporate level. It can be narrow in scope compared to the term sustainability as it can imply a "stand alone" program. It may includes: diversity programs, wellness programs, sustainable procurement/ green supply chain, telecommuting, remote commuting, investment recovery, community and stakeholder engagement.
Sustainability is a macro concept that applies more broadly to entire systems and infrastructures. The term can be somewhat elusive as it spans a multitude of topics. Business sustainability and personal sustainability applies to both corporate and at a personal level. In a business context, sustainability is embedded within an organizations core operations and a corporate sustainability plan is clear, measured, and reported on including all of the above elements of CSR but also, water, carbon, energy, waste management, and sustainability concepts of reduce/ reuse/ recycle, fair trade and commitment to renewables. Sustainability reporting is evident, transparent and may extend beyond the corporation to include tracking of suppliers emissions, waste, energy, etc. Sustainability concepts, in the form of strategies, tools, ideas and models, are tangible mechanisms used to achieve sustainability for both businesses and individuals.
• Waste Management
• Eco labeling
• Buy Local
• Carbon Offsetting
Green, on the other hand, is a micro concept. We deal with green in our everyday lives with things like clothing, food, transportation, and a long list of "how to go green today" suggestions. Green is a pretty easy concept to understand in part because it’s relative and tangible. It is measured on a scale from dirty to clean or eco friendly vs. traditional product. Also, tangible eco actions are oftentimes associated with being green, as in recycling.
As we've experienced in our sustainability consulting practice, sometimes, these terms are difficult to "get." No worries! Enjoy watching the video Sustainability Explained through Animation to help pull it all together.
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