Introducing Sustainability Leadership
A recent report by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership developed a 10 principle guide for how organisations can align their corporate purpose and strategy with the transition to a sustainable economy.
Jump is helping organisations across the UK to achieve their sustainability targets through behaviour change initiatives and the power of collective action.
We’ve highlighted the key points from the report as we break down these 10 principles in an easy-to-digest way. These principles span three key themes which include:
- Aligning organisational purpose, strategy and sustainability
- Internal integration
- External engagement
Aligning organisational purpose, strategy and sustainability
1. Take an ‘outside-in’ view that engages external stakeholders
Get your stakeholders on board from the get-go. Whilst your sustainability ambitions could be sky-high, they need the buy-in from managers, investors, suppliers and even local communities to have long-term success. Engagement methods such as workshops, online questionnaires and focus groups can help to strengthen stakeholder relationships.
2. Take an ‘inside-out’ view that engages employees
Whether you are looking to engage employees, residents or students, your people are vital sources of insight and inspiration. Throughout the scoping, developing and delivering of your Jump programme we actively engage your people. By engaging your sustainability champions, rewarding individuals for sharing their ideas, and delivering monthly communications, we can also help your people to feel a key part of your sustainability agenda.
3. Engage the Board to align purpose and strategy and broaden ownership
It is important to engage the Board to ensure a shared understanding, consequently making strategic impact more effective. We are experienced in helping professionals to create a business case that highlights how your Jump programme will ensure you achieve the carbon savings, energy reductions and thriving culture that comes hand in hand with significant financial savings of an effective sustainability strategy.
Internal Integration
4. Integrate the purpose into strategies and objective-setting
Communicate your sustainability strategy and its purpose through clear objectives. Allocate ownership to leaders and sustainability champions across your organisation in order to integrate the purpose and corporate strategy into their business plans.
5. Align rewards and incentives
Rewarding and incentivising your people is essential for creating positive action. Jump’s own model of behaviour change ensures excellent engagement from your people, utilising rewards and incentives to do so. Members of our Jump programmes can earn Green Points for their sustainability actions, with those earning the most points each month receiving a voucher of their choice. This creates friendly competition as we also share the latest winners through monthly newsletters and digital communications.
6. Integrate the purpose into core practices
Core practices will need to be adapted to reflect the purpose and corporate strategy. Changes to these processes must be supported by targets and metrics, such as carbon emissions avoided, energy saved, or miles of active travel completed. Through the Impact Dashboard, your people can see the direct impact that their actions are having. This is shown on an individual, team and organisation-wide level so that you can assess your progress against the core practices.
7. Build the capacity and capability of employees
Sustainability leadership may not be where the strengths of managers and employees lie, so holding on-going capacity building sessions will continually increase awareness and understanding. Creating opportunities for your employees, residents or students to become sustainability champions for their team will also ensure deeper integration of the purpose and strategy. We instill a sense of community through our Jump programmes by inlcuding gamification elements and team competition.
External Engagement
8. Select and build external partnerships and advocacy
Partnerships can help you to build your reputation as well as being there to share your sustainability successes. Identifying partners with shared values is necessary for the longevity of a partnership and is just as important as selecting partners who bring capability and competence.
9. Integrate the purpose into metrics and external disclosure
This principle is all about sharing your achievements. Therefore, continue to measure and monitor how you are doing and share this progress with your people, partners and stakeholders. Our Jump programmes provide a continuous feedback loop so you can track the impact of your positive action in real time. We share successes through engaging digital communications to ensure your people are up to date with your progress.
10. Integrate the purpose into corporate positioning and communications strategy
Organisations are able to build reputation and trust when what their values align with what the organisation says and does. Consistency and clarity of message are important for engaging as many people as possible.
Now I understand the 10 principles of sustainability leadership, what next?
We’ve given a quick run-down of the 10 principles and what this might look like for your organisation. Each principle links to an action that you can achieve through our Jump programmes. This includes engaging a vast range of sectors, demographics and interests, as well as managing rewards, incentives and digital communications. We incorporate the sustainability strategy of your organisation to create lasting behaviour change and positive action that will help to achieve your targets.
To find out more about how Jump can engage your people, you can request a demo or read one of our case studies.
