10 Golden Rules For Delivering a Sustainability Program

• Have a Strategic Vision. The CEO must own the vision and be determined to embed it into the DNA of the business.
• Be focused. Only initiate those things that will immediately deliver tangible and current year value.
• Improve management. Embrace the ‘manage your business better’ philosophy – and stick to it.
• Mandate benefit delivery. Sustainability excellence is a big investment so ensure benefits are tangible and can be evidenced.
• Treat Sustainability Improvement as a ‘Program of Change’. Establish a formal structure, with authority, clear responsibilities and a relatively small team of core resources. Systematic management is an imperative as the program will comprise multiple projects all of which are interrelated and must be evidenced to be interdependent and interconnected.
• Recognise what you do well. Ensure all the good processes and best practices are clearly captured and documented. Ensure that what you do well is transparent and relevant.
• Accountability is critical. Appoint a senior executive to be responsible overall to ensure appropriate delegation of accountability and ownership formally throughout the organisation.
• Do not over-commit. Wait until the requirement is well defined – but then move quickly.
• Be flexible. Flexibility is crucial in an evolving environment. Create an adaptable approach compatible with an evolving framework.
• Yesterday is not important. The way you have done things in the past may no longer be appropriate. Institutions should be prepared to ditch old approaches, regardless of the fact that 'we've always done it like this.' Being in denial of the need for change will guarantee the failure of the business.