The four swans of sustainability

 

On a recent visit to Edinburgh Napier Business School for a meeting with Dr. Ian Smith the sustainability program course leader. I noticed four origami swans on his desk. Upon enquiring further he intimated that the items were found at the end of one of his lectures on the seat vacated by an anonymous student.  Jokingly he suggested it is symbolic of the quality of his lecture which one of his students found origami more interesting!

But why swans?

Swans in mythology have helped Greek gods move across the sky and is considered by many ancient and indigenous peoples to symbolise transformation, balance and elegance. Swans depending on colour e.g. black swans symbolise mystery or uncertainty.

My own research into the phenomenon of sustainbility footprints (i.e. the use of carbon footprint, water footprint, ecological footprint and the emerging concept of social footprints to evaluate the present non-financial consequences and future risk implications of strategic decisions) - indicates Sustainability footprint methodology is at the nexus of three management theories:

·         Risk – sustainability footprint risk must incorporate environmental impact and its effect on cost structure and revenue streams

·         Natural Resource Based View – sustainability footprint measurement contributes to strategy through pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable development

·         Shared Value – as indicators sustainability footprint assists firms in the mitigation of environmental impacts arising from value chain activities

These theories reveal four key areas within which sustainability footprints can contribute to the success of the firm in terms of cost dimension, innovation dimension, environmental dimension and stakeholder dimension...... the four swans of sustainability

Results of our pilot case study suggest that sustainability footprints can transform stakeholder perceptions of waste from being a cost centre to a profit centre, reduce carbon emissions by diverting waste from landfill and stimulate innovation through the search for potential energy savings.

Firms that do not measure their carbon, social and water footprint expose themselves to uncertainty and risk especially within the context of climate change as they fail to adopt behaviours or make decisions which are expressly sustainable.

To learn more about quality, safety and environmental management visit www.sustainabilitycsr.com