Turning sustainability from a responsibility to a golden opportunity.

Turning sustainability from a responsibility to a golden opportunity. Sustainability is such a broad term, with no single, standard definition. But this doesn’t stop it being claimed as a priority by many, if not most businesses.

The S word is one of the most critical transformations of our time, first flagged up by the UN in the eighties and sitting heavily on the shoulders of every CEO today. Investors, colleagues, partners and even consumers all want it - even if they don’t know exactly what it is.

However, after all the goals, promises and expectations are shouted from company websites and annual reports, everything boils down to action. It’s everyday projects that will determine whether sustainability is actually achieved.

There’s a growing realisation that there needs to be a new, sustainability-focused kind of project manager. A total shift in how projects are considered and executed. Which, several months ago, got us thinking.

First, what do we think sustainability means?

We think it’s about more than ecological initiatives. Swapping out cotton buds and having trousers made from recovered ocean plastic is commendable but insufficient.

Being kind to the planet is paramount but sustainability, to us, is part of a balancing act that involves economic and social responsibility, too. A sustainable business is surely one that minimises its negative impact and maximises its positive contributions, for the benefit of future generations.

This philosophy, this way of looking at the world needs to be absorbed into the management of every project. If not, all the good intentions and commitments of a business will be undermined.

To become more expert, we radically upskilled.

Sustainability is so important to Escape - and our clients - that we took the initiative to invite all our consultants to rigorous training sessions.

We signed up for two courses, both delivered to a packed audience in our training rooms: Sustainable Agile Certification and Green Project Management. Both presented by well-regarded external firms.

On top of this, two of our partners actually embarked on an MBA in Corporate Sustainability from the renowned Business Institute in Aalborg.

The point? To become qualified, as a team and individually, to intricately weave the principles of corporate sustainability into the very fabric of innovation and product development. So that we can help our clients to not only develop new ideas but also to satisfy their corporate responsibilities.

Three big advantages, fuelled by what we now know.

Certificates go on walls. We want to instigate real action, to give our clients even more competitive edge. So here are the tangible benefits we can offer.

Firstly, by adopting a cradle-to-cradle approach, we can help you develop a more holistic business approach. So you can meet market demands and showcase your sustainability credentials.

Next, we can help you jump beyond the carbon footprint discussion. We can actually help you design a holistic approach, involving your colleagues, partners and customers, that is about more than just ecological impact.

Thirdly, we can help take your value chain to the next level, beyond product creation, so that it truly resonates with your principles of sustainable, responsible business practice.

To us at Escape, and to an increasing proportion of our clients, sustainability is beginning to look a lot like a golden opportunity. Not another burden.

Wherever you are in the transformation process, do reach out to us and we’ll do our best to help. It’s probably the biggest project we’ll ever work on together.