ICAS Sustainability Advisory Group Frequently Asked Questions QI. What do you mean by “sustainability”? Al, There are a number of possible interpretations of sustainability, but for the purposes of these notes we have adopted the definition first used in 1987 in the Brundtland Report. It defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Sustainable activity would meet the requirements of this definition in terms of its impact on the environment. Q2. Why should my organisation care about sustainability and the environment? A2, Ata high level there is a moral responsibility to take care of the environment and our planet in the interests of the survival of this and future generations but, at a more immediate and commercial level, it should be in the interests of all organisations to promote sustainability where this can improve efficiency, reduce costs, increase profitability and enhance reputation. @3. Surely this work will prove very costly and time-consuming, so what do we stand to gain? ‘3. This depends on how much action you wish to take, but itis quite possible to make @ significant reduction in your environmental impacts by taking @ few fairly easy steps which are not costly to implement; put another way, you can make a big difference by simply focusing on the “low-hanging fruit’. In addition, reducing theenvironmental impact of a business also frequently results in reduced operating costs. Q4, Other businesses have not taken steps or incurred costs to reduce their environmental impacts and appear to be quite profitable and successful. If | carry out this work will | not lose competitive ground? ‘A4, On the contrary; those businesses which are choosing to ignore sustainability are unlikely to survive in the medium to long term, while the more proactive organisations can, all other things being equal, look forward to a longer-lasting business model, At least in part this is because the consumer is becoming less tolerant of environmentally unfriendly operations, and this is driving the corporate buyer towards more sustainable suppliers. Additionally, reducing environmental impacts often results in reduced costs and improved profitabil Furthermore, it is almost inevitable that the regulation of activity which impacts on the environment (be it in manufacturing operations, in the use of scarce resources or in waste disposal) will soon become even more demanding. We believe that it is advisable for businesses to embrace these changes and to lead the way towards improved practices. This will give those organisations not only a head start in the