Today we visited the Allied Irish Banks to learn more about how sustainability layers into Irish culture, community, and legislation.
Three things I learned on this visit:
- You have to walk the talk. If a company only talks about sustainable practices and embedding care towards their stakeholders, but has no action, they are greenwashing. They must walk to their commitments or their practices are just commercial.
- If sustainability is politicized, reframe it. Change the language based on who the client is or what they know. With political pressures around the globe, there has been a shift in how we should approach speaking about sustainability practices. Similar to the pressures of DEI, it is imperative to recognize the impact of global political pressures and become intentional in how we speak about sustainability based on the client we are talking to.
- Be collaborative with your clients when talking about sustainability. It is important to walk with the clients and guide them through the process of building more sustainable practices. One might say, a pacer for a race should be on the shoulder of the runner.
Two Things I Found Interesting
- While the end goal is to pitch sustainable practices, pitching the ROIs and showing the balance sheet will help businesses understand sustainability’s role within a company.
- Ireland’s government puts pressure on landlords to ensure sustainable business practices through legislation.
One Thing I Want To Learn More About
- Impact and Risk with Sustainability. I want to learn more about double materiality: A dual approach to sustainability by viewing the financial impacts of sustainability themes while viewing the company’s effects on society and the environment.
