SustainabilityOnline recently published its inaugural ‘Ambition Into Action’ report, featuring interviews with senior leaders about how they are turning sustainability vision into business reality at the mid-point of the decade.
Kevin Dunckley is Chief Sustainability Officer at marketing services and print management firm HH Global, where he also oversees the group’s Innovation with Purpose programme. In 2022, he launched the Sustainable Procurement Framework, focused on supply chain practices, followed by the Conscious Creative circular design programme the following year. He previously served on advisory councils for Google Cloud and Forbes AI.
How has HH Global business moved from ‘ambition to action’ in terms of turning sustainability into a core value driver – in other words, how have you made sustainability ‘good for business’?
HH Global has looked at sustainability as a value driver in a number of ways. We have won and renewed contracts with global client brands by committing to deliver sustainability impact, which is embedded and underwritten into the contract – for example, carbon emissions reductions, waste reduction targets, plastic usage reductions, recyclable targets, social targets, diverse supplier spend targets and nature based investments.
This has led to new business and renewals of existing business where client feedback indicates that sustainability was a key decision-making factor.
We have also started to capture data on colleague attraction, retention and support for our sustainability programme. This is a key reason why colleagues aspire to work with us or stay with us.
Our lenders offer green loans, which we take advantage of. We have seen significant interest payment reductions because we consistently hit KPIs that are sustainability linked.
Our supply chain program SPF, has improved and raised the maturity on sustainability across nearly 2,000 suppliers, spanning 70 countries. This creates value and impact and reduces risk in the supply chain. We are currently working on how we measure the financial impact of this award-winning programme.
Our valuation as a business is enhanced by higher ESG and Sustainability ratings from organisations like CDP, EcoVadis and others.
We’re now at the mid point of the decade. What do you see as the single biggest barrier for businesses in moving from ambition to measurable action – and how can it be overcome?
In my view, the single biggest barrier is the lack of green skills across businesses. Embedding sustainable thinking into departments and functions is one of the biggest challenges for a CSO. Finance, HR, technology, leadership, marketing and procurement all have key roles to play. They just don’t always know how to support.
If green skills – which are growing slower than the rate of roles that need them, according to the LinkedIn Green Skills Report – could be invested in properly and accelerated, we would see business making a greater impact.
What role can (and should) leadership play in ensuring sustainability commitments actually deliver results, rather than remaining aspirational? And how can you ensure buy-in from all stakeholders?
Senior leadership support and ‘buy in’ is critical. You have to have a top-down and bottom-up approach to sustainability. Everyone in a business has a role to play.
Green skills and upskilling for leadership is emerging as one of the great ‘unlocks’, in our experience. Once the board understands and starts to cascade this down the chain of command, things become a lot easier and greater impact is achieved.
Buy-in can be achieved in a number of ways. Showcase business wins from sustainability. Contracts, client wins, awards and recognition etc.
Showing the savings and efficiencies that sustainability unlocks when done well is usually a compelling argument.
Linking the ambition to bonuses and incentives is another key way to drive outcomes. Showing departments how they can support ambition within their domains. It is not always obvious. Focus on nature as well as carbon. Nature captures colleagues emotionally in a way that carbon doesn’t.
Learn more about HH Global’s sustainability initiatives at www.hhglobal.com/who-we-are/sustainable-growth/
