Reducing your environmental footprint is not only good for the planet, but can also aid in your business’ success. By committing to sustainable practices, you’re helping your business to resonate with eco-conscious customers and aiding in your brand’s reputation.
Below is a selection of educational resources, such as books, articles and reports, to provide founders with actionable advice for helping their business become more environmentally friendly.
Books:
- Strategy for Sustainability: A Business Manifesto by Adam Werbach – The definitive work on business strategy for sustainability by the most authoritative voice in the conversation.
- Sustainable Business: Key Issues (Key Issues in Environment and Sustainability) by Helen Kopnina and John Blewitt – Sustainable Business: Key Issues is the first comprehensive introductory-level textbook to address the interface between environmental challenges and business solutions to provide an overview of the basic concepts of sustainability, sustainable business and business ethics.
- Sustainable Marketing: How to Drive Profits with Purpose by Michelle Carvill, Gemma Butler and Geraint Evans – This book clarifies the importance of the sustainable approach before providing a comprehensive guide to implementing, driving and maintaining these practices in any organization.
Articles:
- Five free ways to make your business more sustainable by fsb – From your processes to your property, discover five simple ways you can get started with sustainability and do your part to tackle climate change.
- How to reduce waste in your small business by fsb – Discover the small steps you can take to reduce your waste, how to carry out a waste audit and a five-step process you can follow.
- Benefits of ESG for small businesses by British Business Bank – Sustainability is an increasingly pressing topic for small businesses in the UK. Here are the benefits of adopting more sustainable operations.
- How to Harness the Power of Sustainability in Small Business to Drive Profits and Capital by Entrepreneur – Embracing sustainability can improve profitability while attracting investment and funding for small businesses – this article explains how.
Guides:
- Free guide: How to get started with sustainability by fsb – Start your journey to net zero today with fsb’s sustainability guide. With step-by-step guidance, you’ll find tips to help you reduce your carbon footprint and make a difference for tomorrow.
- A guide to setting up your small business sustainability plan by Sage – Learn more about small business sustainability and discover how to create a sustainability plan for your company.
Reports:
- Small Business Sustainability: Insights & Implications by Oxford Brookes Business School and Small Business Britain – In this report from Oxford Brookes Business School in partnership with Small Business Britain, they discuss findings related to small businesses’ awareness, engagement and action towards reaching the UK Governments goal to be Net Zero by 2050.
- The small business sustainability report 2023 by Novuna – This report looks at how UK small businesses are looking to tackle the global sustainability issue our world faces today.
Podcasts:
- Sustainability Defined Podcast by Jay Siegel and Scott Breen – Each episode of this podcast focuses on a single topic that pushes sustainability forward.
- Sustainability Solved Podcast by Green Element Group – Each month, Sustainability Solved meet with inspirational people at the forefront of the sustainable movement, making innovative changes within their organisation to tackle the climate crisis.
- The Sustainability Agenda by Fergal Byrne – The Sustainability Agenda is a weekly podcast exploring today’s biggest sustainability questions.
The above resources provide a comprehensive foundation to understand the various strategies and practices that small business owners can adopt to minimise their environmental impact.