Climate Insider’s Post

“The hope and good intention are there. Ninety-three percent of respondents felt that sustainability was very important or fairly important to commercial success. From there it unravels, showing a serious lack of real commitment which demonstrates the sorry state of sustainability for many, if not most, companies today. Only 37% of respondents saw sustainability as very integrated into the core of the business. Only half of senior management teams (SMTs) are focused on sustainability risks, opportunities, and impacts. Only quarter of companies are devoting sufficient capital to sustainability initiatives. One result of this is that the lack of high quality data on sustainability performance is enormous. While 95% believe that high quality data is very or fairly important only 29% report having it.”

Sustainability: A handy eight-point listicle from Harvard. Procurement leaders are facing new challenges as Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) become more common, a role that wasn't around much just ten years ago. With titles like VP Sustainability and CSO popping up in companies, it makes me think about how procurement leaders' roles are changing. A Harvard Business Review article on CSO responsibilities is getting traction on LinkedIn. Let's see how procurement leaders fit into this new paradigm. HBR may not be a peer-reviewed journal, (full humblebrag disclosure: I'm a HBR Advisory Council Member) but it still provides useful insights, here's two: ✅ Making sure companies follow new rules is a job for everyone, including procurement leaders and other people in the company. This NEED for teamwork also includes managing sustainability projects, which CSOs usually lead. Procurement leaders are also important here, especially when it comes to finding eco-friendly materials or suppliers. Sustainability is interconnected between the supply chain and the organisation, as both drive sustainable practices. ✅ Also, it's important to 'raise awareness' for everyone in the company about being more sustainable. Procurement leaders are good at finding out what needs to CHANGE and making it happen. They also help decide on impactful levers like which suppliers to qualify, evaluate and select to use and how well they're doing. 💡 RECAP: Thinking about how this listicle affects the supply chain - following new rules, keeping an eye on how sustainable everything is and learning new skills - are all important. Procurement plays a key role in making sure everything is sustainable, from choosing suppliers to encouraging better practices. Even though CSOs push for sustainability, they need help from procurement leaders to make it work. Procurement can make a substantial difference by spending money wisely, sustainably and making the supply chain more sustainable. It's important to recognise this CSO-Procurement partnership as they try to be more sustainable. Looking back, just like how it seemed hard to meet ISO9000 quality standards in the supply chain before, procurement leaders can help with sustainability now. They have the capabilities to lead the way, just like they did with quality standards. The challenge is to help procurement pros *be* more sustainable. 🦉 BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: Making procurement more sustainable is important for orgs that care about doing the right thing. By making smart decisions about sustainability, orgs can make a positive impact and help the environment. Can procurement leaders rise to the challenge working with the CSO? With their leadership & commitment, they can make a substantial difference, one procurement decision at a time. Interested in more on this? see here https://eur.cvent.me/v1L94

Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) play a crucial role in advancing climate action within the corporate sector and throughout supply chains by integrating sustainability into core business strategies and operations. Their responsibilities include setting carbon reduction targets, implementing green technologies, and enhancing energy efficiency to minimize waste. CSOs also focus on sustainable sourcing by collaborating with suppliers to improve the environmental and social impacts of supply chains, thereby contributing to a more resilient and responsible business ecosystem. Here are 20 notable chief sustainability officers to know in 2024: 1. Renee Morin, Chief Sustainability Officer at eBay 2. Ellen Jackowski, Executive Vice President/Chief Sustainability Officer at Mastercard 3. Sam Israelit, Partner/Chief Sustainability Officer at Bain & Company 4. Mitch Jackson, Chief Sustainability Officer at FedEx 5. Kate Wylie, Chief Sustainability Officer at CHANEL 6. Jessica Alsford, Chief Sustainability Officer at Morgan Stanley 7. Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA 8. David Webb, Chief Sustainability Officer at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 9. James Temple, ESG-P (He/Him), Chief Sustainability Officer at PwC Canada 10. Caroline Roan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Pfizer 11. Judith Wiese, Chief People and Sustainability Officer at Siemens 12. Velislava Ivanova, Chief Sustainability Officer at EY 13. Jim Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer at PepsiCo 14. Bea Perez, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Coca-Cola Company 15. Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer at Procter & Gamble 16. Paulette Frank, Chief Sustainability Officer at Johnson & Johnson 17. Jon Chorley, Chief Sustainability Officer at Oracle 18. Kathryn Alsegaf, Chief Sustainability Officer at Deloitte 19. Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft 20. Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google #ClimateAction #SustainabilityLeader #CorporateSustainability #EnvironmentalPolicy #GlobalSustainability #LeadershipInTech #GreenTech #SustainableInnovation #GovernmentLeadership #AcademicLeadership #ElectricVehicles #RenewableEnergy #ConservationEfforts #ScienceEducation #StorytellingForChange #ClimateScience #SustainableDevelopment

You are a company with great sustainability ambitions. You have set targets and your workforce is motivated and putting pressure on leadership to set out a plan for how to deliver; but execution is faltering. What can we learn from leading companies in the materials and process industries about key steps to address this challenge? Six steps to get you started: 1. Understand and Demonstrate the Sustainability Business Case 2. Set Up Sustainability Communities to Co-create Targets and Solutions 3. Hard-Wire New Sustainability Processes into the Organization 4. Identify and Address Asymmetries in Talent and Skills 5. Treat Sustainability Data on a Par with Financial Data 6. Embed Sustainability Logic in Opex and Capex Decision Gates A great read! Thank you Martin Feth, Geoff Healy, Konstantin Polunin, Konrad von Szczepanski and Minjon van der Weck for a great piece!

Sustainability initiatives have become a critical driver of success in today's business environment. As companies strive to align their goals with the well-being of the planet, they must constantly evaluate and adapt their strategies to meet the ever-changing demands of sustainability. This is where the power of real-time analytics comes into play.

💡 Check out this interesting article on the challenges sustainability leaders are facing, does it resonate? The struggle is real, juggling complex regulations, resistance to change - it's like hitting a brick wall sometimes. But the article below 👇 has some really solid advice on how organizations can support their sustainability champions. Things like getting buy-in from the top, making sustainability part of the company DNA, implementing new technology and having robust reporting systems. Time to make some real progress, people! 💪🌍 #sustainabilitychampions #TopoSolutions #ESG #supplychainregulations

Managing the sustainability function in any organization is becoming increasingly difficult. A key issue is the complexity of internal and external reporting requirements. Add to that poor data quality and resistance to change from stakeholders. You have a challenging portfolio.

In today’s complex and evolving sustainability landscape, a company must have a clear roadmap for creating a resilient and future-proof organisation. Sustainability isn’t just about compliance; it’s a strategic lever for driving growth, enhancing competitiveness, and making a meaningful impact.   Learn more about the importance of building a sustainability strategy in today's world and how it can help unlock long-term value in our insightful interview with Darina Elencheva, a Strategic Sustainability Management Consultant with over 15 years of experience.   https://lnkd.in/eQGdS7mE

Profiting from Sustainability: How Implementing Successful Programs Boosts Your Bottom Line In the modern business landscape, sustainability is not just a buzzword; it is a strategic imperative. Organizations that implement successful sustainability programs often experience increased profitability along with enhanced brand reputation and operational efficiencies. This article explores how integrating sustainability into business operations can lead to significant financial gains. #sustainability #increasedprofits #SDGs #SDGs2030 #ClimateActionNow #ClimateChange #CSR #ESG #ESGReporting #ESGInvesting https://lnkd.in/eRhFzHJR

Looking for ways to integrate sustainability considerations into decision-making and align operational decisions with sustainability goals? 🌍   It is heartening to witness a growing trend in companies embracing sustainability strategies. However, simply having a sustainability strategy isn't enough. For companies to truly make a difference, it's crucial to incorporate sustainability into the core of decision-making processes – and this is where the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process steps in.   The S&OP process is designed to balance commercial, operational, and financial interests – and it serves as the backbone of strategic decision-making in many organizations. By incorporating sustainability aspects into this well-established process, we can make sure that an organization becomes more sustainable while maintaining profitability.   Introducing "Sustainable S&OP" – a powerful synergy that leverages existing operational frameworks to bridge decisions with sustainability strategies. It's more than just a strategic alignment; it's about creating a symbiotic relationship between day-to-day operations and the overarching sustainability mission. 🌱   Let's leverage the tools we already have in place to build a more sustainable future. 💚   Curious to hear more? Reach out!