How to develop effective sustainability programmes

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When curating sustainability programmes, you’re putting together all the elements that make up your company’s sustainable initiatives, presenting it in an organised fashion that allow others to access it. This could mean creating a website with links to key information or creating an e-mail newsletter with updates on new projects and events.

Businesses need to keep an eye on future sustainability trends. Sustainability programmes must be flexible and adaptable and keep trend with technologies that can take us one step closer to establishing sustainable future.   

A culture of sustainability for businesses

Sustainability in organisation attract and retain top talent. Many millennials (and even older generations) are interested in working for companies that are committed to impacting society and the environment.

Furthermore, it encourages innovation within the company by providing opportunities for workers to suggest new ideas or initiatives that align with their values.

The concept of sustainability can extend beyond the environment

Sustainability initiatives often focus on the environment; however, other issues can also be addressed through (sustainability) best practices.  These include:

• Social justice – addressing inequality and discrimination.
• Accessibility – making spaces more inclusive to people with disabilities or other special needs.
• Economic stability – ensuring people have access to quality healthcare, education, housing, food security, etc.

Why diverse perspectives help improve sustainability programmes

Diverse perspectives identify new opportunities and allow us to better understand our employees’ needs and motivations.  This in turn enable organisations to provide more fulfilling careers that bring value to both employees and business.

Sustainability is good for the environment, your bottom line and can improve employee morale. In addition, it makes customers happy and builds community support.

Components of sustainable learning plans

Looking at sustainable learning programmes, these should be based on three components: alignment, personalised learning, and return on investment:

• Alignment means that the organisation’s goals, objectives, and culture are in line with the content of the learning programme.
• Personalised learning sees each employee receiveing training relevant to his or her role within the company. This can be difficult if your company has hundreds or thousands of employees. However, even if you have a large workforce, it’s possible to customise learning programmes relevant to specific job roles or functions within the company.
• Return on investment (ROI) is how much money an organisation saves by implementing a sustainable learning programme. The ROIs for sustainable learning programmes vary depending on the type of training involved and whether it’s mandatory for all employees.

In summary, we believe by working together and sharing different perspectives on sustainability, we can better prepare ourselves for the challenges of tomorrow.

At Schneider Electric, we are committed to achieving sustainable development in our clients’ businesses by bridging progress and sustainability through education and training for all. Our VoluteerIn platform enables active volunteering in civic engagements to strengthen social inclusivity. In addition, Schneider Electric Foundation for Sustainable Development provides training and entrepreneurial programmes to help people gain skills, seek work, or start their own companies in the energy sector.