C-Suite Leaders: Cultivating a Sustainability Culture

Creating inspirational and meaningful change to enable progress must come from the top. Recent events have focused on shifting mindsets and applying a more customer-centric service culture that focuses on developing informed relationships. 

There is mounting pressure for DEI, compliance managers and HSE leaders across all businesses to influence and tackle the cultural shifts to achieve ESG objectives. The challenge is even higher when many companies and C-Suites haven’t accepted this cultural change as the new norm.

According to industry research, it has been challenging for leaders to adapt to rising expectations and the need for people and the planet or maintain the pace of changes. Many companies often view ESG requirements as a box-checking exercise, with a mindset of prioritising short-term results over long-term development and well-being. Focusing on corporate interests over the environment and community underscores the need for more personal and intelligent approaches towards achieving long-term sustainable goals.

The move towards long-term investment results and focusing on environmental and societal outcomes rather than short-term profits is required. Some businesses adopt this approach, focusing on the community and stakeholder needs before profit. Being a stakeholder means listening carefully to the community and delivering what they need.

Focusing on the short term ignores community needs

We should adopt an approach that enables businesses to integrate with communities instead of considering them an obstacle. It takes time for a local community to recognise that a corporation isn’t purely focused on profit. 

Preparing the next generation for future jobs requires businesses to rethink their attitudes towards employment. In 2018, 60% of employment was in jobs that didn’t exist in 1940. Many experts believe we are entering a similar shift, with many organisations anticipating core employee skills will change within the next few years. 

According to the World Economic Forum, some core in-demand skills for employers were management skills, working with others, technology experience and cognitive skills. 

Embracing a skills-first agenda

A skills-first agenda focuses on a person’s skills and ability over education, employment history and job titles. It enables employers a flexible way of observing an individual’s potential and the ability to harness their talent in other sectors. Embracing the skills-first agenda requires employers to think holistically about their existing requirements compared to their future needs.

A skills-first approach requires employers to consider their existing employees, the skills available and the opportunity to source talent internally. Internal mobility provides opportunities for employees and is a great way to retain talent. 

Focusing on the skills required in green jobs 

To achieve our 2030 net zero targets and resolve talent shortages, hiring managers must first prioritise skills. For example, offshore engineers working on rigs extracting gas and oil have these transferable skills required for the offshore wind industry. There are signs that similar skill sets will prove valuable in the carbon-capture industry. To enable this transition, industries must collaborate with government and professional associations to facilitate this movement. Educators must also appreciate the transition in learning, the importance of the skills-first agenda and the need to provide upskilling or reskilling opportunities. 

Prioritising upskilling and reskilling

It’s critical that as we progress towards a green economy filled with green opportunities and skills, this happens together. We must ensure any barriers to employment are eliminated to enable diverse participation in a green future, which is considered critical to tackling the issues of climate change.