The first step to becoming involved in sustainable development is to choose or formulate the sustainable development principles your business is going to follow. You might, for instance, make a commitment to shift your business practices to follow the principles of whole system design, based on the belief that natural resources and ecological systems are becoming scarce while human capital is increasing.
This approach is also known as eco-effectiveness and natural capitalism. In "The Next Industrial Revolution", William McDonough and Michael Braungart summarize the progress of industry's eco-efficiency efforts, and make a strong case for moving beyond this concept to "eco-effectiveness", human industry that is regenerative rather than depletive.
Adopting the CERES Principles is a good beginning for businesses wanting to incorporate sustainable development principles into their operating practices. The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) includes investors, public pension funds, foundations, labour unions and environmental, religious and public interest groups working in partnership with companies towards the common goal of corporate environmental responsibility. A blueprint for sustainable development, these principles include statements relating to the sustainable use of natural resources, the reduction and disposal of wastes, energy conservation, safe products and services, and environmental restoration, among other topics.
If you prefer to develop your own sustainable development principles, the clearest explanation I've found of what an Environmental Management System (EMS) is is this definition from the government of Canada:
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a framework developed by an organization to help improve its environmental performance by taking environmental considerations into account when making decisions and managing risks.The first step to putting together an EMS is to make a commitment and develop an environmental policy; the second is to set goals, objectives, and targets for your environmental management program.
You'll find a great deal of useful information on IISD's Business and Sustainable Development Web site. Funded by the Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Works Program,this is a comprehensive resource for businesses that want to integrate sustainable development into their successful operations. Here are definitions, tools, and strategies you can implement, as well as case studies, that will show you the way.
The Pembina Institute has done (and continues to do) a great deal to make sustainable development feasible. The organization offers a range of information and programs designed to help businesses increase their profits and competitiveness while becoming more environmentally friendly.
Environment Canada is also an excellent source for businesses and conusmers who want to become more environmentally friendly. For instance, the Inventory and Procurement section of their website is an excellent guide for businesses that want to bring their purchasing policies in line with their sustainable development principles. It includes a Purchasing Toolkit that provides information on office equipment such as computers, printers and bottled-water coolers to help businesses make environmentally friendly purchasing choices.
The Canadian government has also put together a Clean, Lean & Mean website, a collection of sustainable development resources for businesses who want to reduce costs and increase profits through improved environmental performance. One of the site's features is a section on government programs that can provide help for businesses to put their sustainable development plans into action.
But you don't have to wait to take action. My article, Ten Ways to Green Your Business, will get you started integrating sustainable development considerations into your business's day-to-day operations in ten simple ways - ten simple ways that you can implement right now.
