Helping you build a sustainable business

Key Points

• The Institute’s latest Business Briefing publication looks at the steps needed for building and implementing a sustainability plan and how to embed it into business strategy
• The publication was launched at a panel with industry experts providing insight into the business case for embedding sustainability into an organisation
• The Institute provides a range of resources on sustainability, available on our website.

Integrating sustainability into an organisation’s strategy is a critical component of long-term business planning. The Institute’s latest Business Briefing provides guidance and checklists to help Chartered Accountants and other financial professionals assess the sustainability of their businesses.

20 issues on building a sustainable business  goes through the steps of building and implementing a sustainability plan and suggests how to embed it into business strategy. The publication, produced in partnership with KPMG, was launched at a panel session featuring industry experts from the firms and the corporate sector.

Geraldine Magarey, the Institute’s Manager of Sustainability and Regional Australia, chaired the session, where panellists discussed the business case for embedding sustainability into an organisation.

'Corporate sustainability is an integral part of long-term value-creation. Environmental, social and governance factors should be firmly embedded in a company’s strategy. Embedding sustainability into an organisation’s strategy will ensure it has an enduring and sustainable future,' Ms Magarey says.

The publication covers a range of strategic areas including:

• Mapping business risks and opportunities
• Developing relevant sustainability metrics
• Incorporating sustainability within the risk management framework.

20 issues on building a sustainable business  is one of many resources the Institute provides for members to help improve the sustainability of organisations. More information, guidance and tools are available on our website. Ms Magarey also regularly blogs about issues affecting sustainability.

This is the fifth publication in the Institute’s Business Briefing Series, which discusses a range of topics relevant to business in today’s society.

Article last updated 22 November 2011

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