Commentary by Adrian Lajtha, Chief Leadership Officer of Accenture.

In the last few years, a broad spectrum of critical issues, from the global economic crisis and climate change to the needs of disadvantaged individuals and communities, has challenged the character of organizations around the world. These challenges have also provided new opportunities for business to demonstrate courage, values and leadership.

In particular, running a “sustainable” organization, no matter how large, has become central to high-performance businesses and governments.  Whether you view the subject specifically as “green” or energy issues, or define it in the broadest possible sense – as the impact of a business on society in every dimension – sustainability has become one of the most significant issues for society and has risen to the top of the business agenda.  

A look at the broader issues tied to sustainability reveals a surprising complexity.  Clearly, all companies have their own needs and aspirations, but, at Accenture, we believe the issues attached to “sustainability” have an impact not only on a company, but also on its people, clients and the communities in which it lives and works.

For a company seeking to engage those stakeholders, there are numerous issues worth addressing, including:
•    Corporate citizenship – A corporate citizenship commitment should align with – or at least reflect – a company’s values, vision, culture and character.  For example, one of the things we do best at Accenture is build our people’s skills.  It made sense, then, to focus our corporate citizenship initiatives on Skills to Succeed, which educates people around the world, building skills that enable them to participate in and contribute to the economy.
•    Environmental stewardship – Climate change and environmental sustainability present new challenges on a daily basis. To meet these challenges, a company should develop a strategy for its business operation, the services it provides clients and how it interacts with suppliers. While industries have varying environmental impact in terms of carbon, waste and water, every company should understand its specific impact and work to reduce it.
•    People – We often say that people are at the heart of everything we do and seek to achieve.  If your company is similar, it’s important to ensure that your people have the skills necessary to do their jobs at the highest level and to advance their own careers.  Achieving that may involve training, a clear sense of the talent and leadership you’ll need in the future, work/life and wellness programs, etc. We also believe that advancing an inclusive and diverse environment is critical to being a good corporate citizen
•    Corporate governance – In an environment in which some companies stand accused of lacking ethics, it’s important to consider your governance and monitoring and compliance approach.  This is true no matter how large your company is. You should consider, for example, whether your corporate financial practices are transparent, whether you have zero tolerance for ethical violations, if your employees can safely report violations, etc.
•    Suppliers – Lastly, “sustainability” also applies to a company’s supply chain, and companies should consider enumerating standards of conduct for their sourcing and contracting processes.  For example, if your company has a code of business ethics, you might ask potential suppliers if and/or how they comply with those ethics.  If you issue RFPs, you might try to incorporate environmental questions in them.  Additionally, if diversity is important to you, make sure that your suppliers support it, too.

Without a doubt, addressing sustainability is an enormous undertaking, and no single executive can do it all in a vacuum.  But by engaging employees, clients, suppliers and nonprofit partners, a company can achieve its sustainability goals. One way or another, every company can make a sustainable difference in the long-term vibrancy and vitality of its people and the communities in which they live and work.

The Corporate Citizenship Report can be found at Accenture.com