Sustainability is in practice easier than you think

The existing situation is full of opportunities

Sustainability can be initiated well from the daily practice. As long as steps are being taking in the right direction, within intern business operations and the creation of services and products. The first steps to sustainability often are the most obvious ones. Personally I get most pleasure from making existing initiatives and ideas of people visible. Often they only need a little push. Furthermore, it is important to get all pieces of the puzzle of a sustainable future on the table and really work on it together.

A label is No Guarantee

When looking at your business premise for example, it mainly is important how the building is being used and how people are behaving there. Economy is not guaranteed by an A-label. In fact, a study from TNO shows the energy use in premises with an A-label was 60% higher than expected up front. With a unfavourable G-label the use was 35% lower than expected. In other words, behaviour has a high impact on the true environmental impact. Acting smart within the existing possibilities can already save a lot. It can be a matter of behavioural change and adjusting the demands people ask from their environment. A sustainable mentality is already improved by behaving at work like you would at home. At home most people use green power and separate their waste more than they do in the workplace.

Sustainability in the future

Many organisations can become more sustainable by simply optimizing the business operations, the products and the building. Make long term choice in the business operations and take structured steps towards better and more sustainable products. Let sustainability 'just' be a part of quality. I think many people feel that, so time to get to it!

Joost Bennekers - self-employed sustainability advisor.