It's a common misconception that businesses can't make profits when they are purpose-driven. Sustainable development is protecting the environment & its resources, enriching the human experience while taking care of stakeholders, economic growth, and profitable business strategies. In simple terms, business profits and the environment must go hand in hand and co-exist.

It implies that Mother Nature shouldn't be harmed and all measures should be taken so that natural resources don't get irreparably damaged by business activities. To achieve sustainable development, it's essential that businesses, consumers, and governments must come forward together and not just rely on an individual entity.

In this article, we will learn some strategies & tips for your business to achieve sustainability & growth.

A Revolutionary Change in Healthy Growth…

Businesses & Governments need to work together instead of operating separately because their actions are correlated. For example, when the government uses certain restrictions and regulations business's growth may face some limitations.

Economic growth, social welfare, and the protection of mother earth should be our top goals while achieving sustainable growth, and they must be accomplished at the same time. Going green creates a new market and promotes overall well-being.

Brands focused on sustainability and green initiatives will produce higher profits as they can easily differentiate themselves and can have a competitive advantage. Corporate buildings need to be redeveloped to become energy efficient, and employees of the companies must be reskilled as they are the most important resource of any company. Businesses must also look for other ways to bring down their carbon footprint.

Constant Changes

Sustainable development is not easy to define because it's fluidic in nature. And with ever-changing societal needs & priorities, the contribution of organizations in different sectors to make an impact varies accordingly. Business leaders need to find a balance between their self-interest and the good of society.

For example, a textile company might discharge its wastes and chemical into freshwater resources, affecting aquatic life. So the company should treat the water before discharging, or the company must close down and lose its market share. If they continue, they tend to make high profits, but the cost to marine life & environment is high.

So, sustainable development needs more in-depth research on these technical problems because there are no clear answers. And even if they have, it might change according to societal priorities. Currently, there is a lot of confusion and pressure on businesses to restore and protect the environment & they are also worried about the survival of their business.

Understanding the Importance of Sustainability

Sustainability is such a huge concept that sometimes it goes over our heads. Brands have to establish their goals and provide sustainable solutions to consumers. It's not just about eco-friendly packaging and reduction in waste. It's also about the source of the product to its end life. For example, if the product can be reused and recycled, or the manufacturing process includes zero wastage. Once brands can align sustainability with their mission, they will achieve higher standards in terms of social responsibility and accountability.

Sustainability and environmental affairs are not just trends that are in the hype. It's something that's to be taken very seriously. Only a few irresponsible brands fail to understand its need.

Big brands such as 3M use sustainable practices to treat wastewater before discharging, and that’s how they save aquatic life. McDonald's is using paper packaging & materials instead of plastic to minimize waste reduction.

Sustainable Leaders

The senior management of corporations must have their purpose aligned with the environment. Establishing these objectives requires the active support of senior executives and top-level management. Their role is to encourage brands to be socially responsible and monitor the implementation of sustainable policies.

Sustainable leaders make this world a better place as they have the vision to think beyond short-term profits and focus on long-term success. In the future, no brand will be able to survive without the influence of a sustainable leader who creates positive changes in the environment.

According to National Centers for Environmental Information, there was a loss of 306 Billion dollars due to climate change, and they stated that climate change is an alarming issue in the present day scenario. Climate change can be solved under the influence of sustainable leaders. They play a huge role in learning, thinking processes, and other contextual factors.

A sustainable revolution will create millions of new jobs, and sadly some old ones will be totally wiped off. We need sustainable leaders who take decisions ethically & financially together. It's also a fairly new concept to the world. We will have to train the younger generation under the guidance of sustainable leaders.

Innovation

Growth in businesses can be achieved through innovation in products and services. Innovation can lead to customer satisfaction to the extent these customers become top marketers of the company. With constant innovation in technology, the carbon footprint goes down because new methods and technology require fewer resources and higher returns to the company.

Innovation can be a driving factor in attracting growth opportunities and profit to the company. In simple terms, it can be anything; a new product, a new service, or a new method. When companies focus on sustainability, it boosts new inventions & patents and helps them become more impactful.

For example, when WorldWideWeb was new, businesses only used it to create simple and static. Every brand was building its page because it was trendy. Now, as technology evolved, most business operations are conducted with the help of the Web. Similarly, we are in the initial phases of sustainability. Every business is trying to be eco-friendly and ethical, but in the future, sustainability will be the core concept of every business, and every business will revolve around it.

Self Evaluation

Most brands look up to other successful brands to achieve business goals and objectives. But for sustainability goals, companies need to self-evaluate themselves and adopt sustainable principles. It requires changes in strategy, performance, and carbon footprint. Companies should compare their results with the previous year's performance rather than other brands. Business policies need to be transparent on environmental topics.

Brand policies need to be transparent on the topics of the environment. Their overall strategy needs to be compared with the investor's expectations of growth & profit. It requires in-depth research on various self-assessment processes and data sources.

Green Branding Strategy

Businesses need to understand WHY they do what they do. Building a green brand identity would act as the north star for organizations and all their processes. From manufacturing to marketing & sales, everything should be promoted as green and eco-friendly. This type of green identity of business would lead to steady growth & profits because it would connect emotionally with consumers.

Green brands create a win-win-win situation for everyone; producers, consumers, and the planet. According to one survey from Natural Marketing Institute, 58% of consumers evaluate a company's carbon footprint before making a purchase decision. The modern consumer is even willing to pay extra for an eco-friendly product & service.

For all your eco-friendly marketing, packaging, and branding materials, contact Eco-Friendly Printer, the No.1 sustainable printer in America that has been providing sustainable printing solutions for over 30 years.

Conclusion

This article explains how businesses can achieve sustainability goals and maximize profits through various methods. However, the current scenario in corporate culture doesn't allow its managers and executives to be socially responsible and follow these behaviors and patterns. But in the future, it will be a necessity for every brand to become socially responsible,

Do It Now before it's too late!

Be a Green Brand, Be a part of the Revolution!

Author Bio: I Am Protecting the Environment by Skyrocketing the ROI of Sustainable Brands Through the Power of Written Words. Find me on LinkedIn- Ether King

How Can Brands Achieve Sustainability and Growth in the Long Run?