Technology is, and has been for a long time, an indispensable element for a good and productive business performance. In the last few years, that same role has been passed on to sustainability. It is now time we bring them both together.
Technology is not only an indispensable element for virtually every business in the market, it has also taken over our lives, form social interactions to online shopping and even education, it is not farfetched to say that we highly depend on technology.
The same could be argued for sustainability; although it still doesn’t strike many as a necessity, it is quite crucial to our livelihood, and it is fair to say that it is slowly but steadily being integrated into our habits and behavior.
Through this article we want to explore how these two concepts intertwine, and how they could do so in order to push sustainability forward in the business world.
Sustainability and technology
With the rise and rapid development of technology, companies were fast to take on the challenge of digitization in an effort to adapt and find those productivity and overall business benefits that it had in store for them.
In fact, it did not take long to realize how, indeed, the digitization of companies helped increase productivity, as it reduced time spent in manual tasks, and it improved and sped many processes both internally and externally by reducing frictions, obstacles and misunderstandings.
Today, it is the challenge of sustainability that has made a similar appearance in the business world. In fact, along with business advantages, sustainability promises to be the way forward for the wellbeing of our planet and the livelihood of society.
Being in line with climate and planetary goals, as well as with the health and wellbeing of society, is the only possible way to ensure the survival of a business. With growing regulations and public awareness, sustainability is not just a nice-to-have.
But this is not new; it is frankly the basis of any modern business model. But the point we are trying to make here is the following: if technology and sustainability are both necessary and beneficial aspects of any company, why not combine them?
The digitization of sustainability
The maths here are quite simple. Technology and digitization help improve results and productivity, while sustainability is necessary for the long term survival of the company and the planet. Naturally, if we combine them both, the result is a better and more efficient sustainability strategy.
It could be argued that even when a company has a good and strong sustainability strategy in place, the lack of its digitization could actually be downplaying its positive impact and results.
The main argument to support the digitization of sustainability is to simplify something as complex as taking care of the environment and society through business activities by understanding and making better use of resources and information.
How can we accelerate the digitization of sustainability?
- Prioritize company culture: Any significant change needs to come from within, this is, it needs to be embedded into the very people who make the organization’s purpose possible. This is, not only should it come from corporate governance, but in fact be translated into employees’ every day work.
- Establish clear goals: Strategy changes like this can fall apart rapidly if we do not set clear goals and a path to get to them. It is important to assess what the situation is internally in this regard to be able to trace out each step of the strategy. What are the company’s strengths? And weaknesses? Once we have these answers we can establish improvement as well as achievement goals.
- Assess possible solutions: There may be many ways to achieve the goals we set up, but it is important to assess all of these options correctly in order to find the best fit for the company’s sustainability development stage. This means looking for services that can help collect data and push certain parts of the strategy forward in the most cost-efficient way possible, while delivering positive results.
The digitization of the company's sustainability culture
In DoGood we are convinced of the need to understand and manage efforts to achieve a sustainable transition inside an organization for the correct and efficient functioning of the business and the community it operates in.
We alone cannot achieve the substantial changes necessary, but we work on the basis of collaboration, transparency and accuracy.
Working collectively can help us find that which alone may seem unattainable, making the workplace the perfect environment to find that collective eagerness to make a difference, both for the sustainability of the company and a more sustainable way of being for all employees.
Through our technology we help companies establish ESG impact objectives for employees in regards to the sustainability strategy of the company. We are able to activate and track employees’ impact, creating engagement that translates into improved ESG metrics, reputational value and an overall positive impact for the environment and society.
If you want to know more about how we work to create a positive social and environmental impact, click here.
