How to complete a Sustainable Business Audit
Wait! A what?
Yes you heard me a Sustainable Business Audit.
Hmm okay, well what’s that?
A sustainable business audit is a quick tool that you can use to assess what you are doing well in sustainability and what your future opportunities are.
Oh, okay. Why would I do that?
In the words of Maya Angelou “If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going.”
For example, if you drop a location in google maps it’s not much help unless you can also put in your current location. Once you have your destination AND your current location then google maps can give your direction of travel and pathways to get there.
Although this might be simplified, the same is true of sustainability. We need to know our end goal but we also need to know where we are now in terms of sustainable practice. This is important because it will show us our unique path. It’s no use copying exactly what other businesses are doing or have done because they might be at a different starting point to us.
To me, a Sustainable Business Audit is a great first step to starting your sustainability journey.
Righto. So what exactly does a Sustainable Business Audit involve?
A sustainable business audit typically covers two things.
What systems, processes and tools you have in place to enable and deliver sustainability. This covers things like policy and strategy, measuring and reporting and engagement.
The second thing is how you take action to deliver sustainable outcomes. This would include putting in place specific initiatives such as waste reduction e.g refusing plastic packaging, reducing your emissions e.g. switching to electric travel or increasing your diversity e.g. working with a Māori owned supplier.
An audit would assess what you are already doing across those activities and what you are not. This will give you a clear picture of what your future opportunities for sustainable action are.
Sweet! Sounds like something that would be useful for my business!
Awesome! The good news is here at Third Era we can help you. We have done the hard work for you and have designed our very own Sustainable Business Audit that was created from our experiences and from proven sustainability frameworks and tools. Our audit will help you:
🌱 Explore and identify your gaps and opportunities.
🌱 Get a snapshot of what’s working well and what’s not across essential sustainable business pillars.
🌱 Start sustainability conversations with your staff, suppliers and clients confidently and logically.
🌱 Design a mini sustainability action plan to get started on your unique journey.
That sounds great - but what does it cost?
💸 Cost: Nothing at all, the audit is my gift to you.
🕖 Time Investment: Completing the workbook will take you no longer than a coffee break with a couple of colleagues. In the long run this will help your business cut straight to sustainable action.
💃🏽 Benefits: Clarity, direction, priorities and actions.
I’m in! Where can I find the Sustainable Business Audit?
Download the audit and start your sustainability journey today.
I can’t wait to join you!
If you have any questions or want to know what’s next you can always get in touch with me on annabel@thirdera.co.nz.
