For Leaders, Sustainability is not a Choice

Robert Swan, adventurer turned environmentalist and the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles, said in his famed quote: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” In the race to grow and achieve financial excellence, the sustainability of the business model in the environment in which it operates is often subjugated. Fortunately, this is changing. 

More and more leaders are appreciating the fact that an organization’s sustainability is intricately dependent on the sustainability of the environment in which it operates. These visionary leaders are not waiting for governments to introduce the inevitable legislations that will force enterprises to invest in sustainability initiatives. They are looking inward and embedding sustainability of the environment into their core strategy for sustainable growth of their organizations. Indeed, they are recognizing that the idea of a sustainable business needs to be embedded at all levels of the organization, including employees at the frontline who have greater impact on business processes. 

While there are some easy wins, a long-term view is required for a business to be truly sustainable. A series of short-term initiatives cannot make up for a holistic sustainability strategy. It is necessary for a leader to craft a sustainability program that encompasses the entire business, engaging all the stakeholders and challenging them to commit to and work towards achieving the sustainable organization of the future.

At Croma, we have always tried to choose environmentally sustainable options such as being the first electronics retailer 9 years ago to design recycled paper bags that could carry the weight of such products and using 100 per cent energy efficient LED lights in all of our stores. We are now accelerating the effort by weaving in sustainability as a part of our core customer proposition in the form of ‘responsible consumerism’. Our campaigns and promotions are committed to promoting energy efficient consumer durables such as Inverter Technology for ACs, Refrigerators and Washing Machines that use less water, etc. But more importantly, we have launched the Croma eCare program, which facilitates responsible disposal of the e-waste lying around with our customers. Further, to build momentum in this program, we have committed to plant a tree for every customer who helps us collect an e-waste article for safe disposal. This is just the beginning of a long journey, but we are committed to grow our business in an environmentally sustainable manner. 

Albert Einstein said: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” As leaders, we need to innovate solutions that ensure organizational growth does not come at the cost of environmental health. Otherwise, the future of the organization we lead will be in jeopardy.