Leadership
Leadership and organization commitment are essential to a well-functioning sustainability program (see SHCLD chapter). The following practices can help build and establish organization commitment. You don’t need to do them all — select what aligns with your organization.
Strategies and Practices
These actions and practices can help your organization establish a sustainability program with clear purpose, strong leadership, and support from all levels of the organization.
Getting Started
- Identify a champion and/or key stakeholders
- Hire a sustainability leader
- Start small and build momentum; don’t try to boil the ocean
- Establish a formal Sustainability Governance Structure
- Set a collective vision and goals with identified metrics
- Build sustainability projects with a clear business case; incorporate into existing service lines
- Create an internal communications plan
- Develop and implement a strategic plan
- Gain buy-in from the Executive Leadership Team/Executive Sponsor (C-Suite)
Long Term Strategies
- Allocate resources (financial and human) for a long term strategy
- Develop policies that support decarbonization actions and interventions
- Foster a culture of sustainability; walk the talk, lead by example
- Collaborate and partner with external stakeholders (the community, suppliers, area hospitals)
- Publish an Annual Sustainability Report
- Inclusion of Sustainability as a Board Agenda Item
- Incentivize staff efforts (remote work policies, subsidizing public transportation)