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14.11.2024
Conducting a Sustainability Assessment – Where to Start
Before you can improve your sustainability performance, you need to understand where your business currently stands. A sustainability assessment is the first step in responding effectively to supplier scorecards and tender requirements. It helps identify your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.
Here’s how you can get started:
1. Map Your ImpactsTake stock of your operations and supply chain. Where are your most significant environmental and social impacts? Look at areas such as:
- Energy use
- Waste generation
- Transportation
- Resource consumption
- Community engagement
By identifying key impact areas, you can focus your efforts where they’ll make the biggest difference.
2. Gather DataData is crucial for assessing your sustainability performance. Common data points include:
- Energy and water consumption
- Waste production and disposal methods
- Carbon emissions from vehicles, facilities, or suppliers
- Employee well-being and diversity metrics
If you’re not already tracking this information, now is a great time to start.
3. Evaluate Policies and ProcessesReview your existing policies and practices. Are they aligned with sustainability goals? Consider:
- Procurement policies (e.g., favouring sustainable suppliers)
- Waste reduction initiatives
- Employee engagement programmes
- Certifications or standards you’re meeting (or aiming to achieve)
This will help identify areas for improvement and potential gaps.
4. Benchmark Your PerformanceCompare your data and policies to industry standards or competitors. This provides context for how you’re performing and helps set realistic goals.
5. Highlight Your StrengthsEvery business is doing something well—whether it’s reducing waste, sourcing responsibly, or supporting the local community. Recognising your strengths is just as important as identifying areas for improvement.
How Reasonably Sustainable Can HelpConducting a sustainability assessment might seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. At Reasonably Sustainable, we offer tailored guidance to help SMEs:
- Identify key impact areas
- Gather and analyse meaningful data
- Benchmark performance
- Develop action plans that align with your business goals
Our approach ensures your assessment isn’t just a box-ticking exercise but a foundation for meaningful progress.
💬 We’d Love to Hear from You!
What’s been your biggest challenge in assessing your sustainability performance? Share your thoughts in the comments or get in touch to learn how we can support you.
Stay tuned for the next post in our series, where we’ll discuss how to set sustainability goals that are practical and achievable.
#Sustainability #SMEs #SustainabilityAssessment #SupplierScorecards #ReasonablySustainable
We Empower SMEs to tackle sustainability with affordable, bespoke solutions—no tick-box templates, just genuine guidance tailored to your business.
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