Green seals, labels with descriptions such as “Made from recyclable materials” and paper bags instead of plastic; have you seen them? You are not the only one, since these are strategies of greenwashing common for companies seeking to promote a more sustainable image of themselves.
While some corporations take real and concrete actions to reduce their impact on the environment, many others limit themselves to actions like those we mentioned before, without having effective measures that really imply a change. But then, how do we distinguish one from the other? Here we explain it to you.
Through institutional indicators, such as ESG criteria (environmental, social and governance), many nonprofit organizations can monitor companies and determine whether their operations are truly consistent with the sustainability they boast about.
If you want to understand what these criteria imply and how to identify a truly sustainable company with them, keep reading.
How to identify a sustainable company?
As we already mentioned, over time indicators have been created that allow us to know the level of sustainability of a company. Surely the best known are the ESG criteriaproposed by the United Nations environmental initiative in 2005:
- Environmental (environmental): It measures how closely the company adheres to policies that favor the environment. For example, the responsible use of energy, waste treatment, pollution generated in various media, the means used to obtain resources, among others.
- Social: represents the relationship that the company has in social groups, both internal and external. For example, does the company participate in volunteer activities to benefit its community? And does the company have inclusive and healthy policies regarding its collaborators?
- Governance: determines the level of transparency and accountability of the company. Here the general integrity of the organization is evaluated and that there are no conflicts of interest in its operations.
In a time like the one we live in, it is common for many companies to appear to have sustainable policies, while, in practice, their operations do not follow sustainable principles.
That is why the term arose greenwashing to describe those superficial strategies that, although they appear to adhere to the principles of sustainability, do not represent a significant change and, in any case, give consumers the wrong idea.
Why should companies be more sustainable?
If you pay attention to the news, you will understand that measures to confront the environmental crisis are more urgent than ever. Companies especially have a very important opportunity to contribute to these measures and leave a better precedent for future generations of entrepreneurs.
Contrary to what you may think, having more sustainable strategies does not mean that a company stops being profitable or productive, quite the opposite. In fact, according to the indicators of McKinseythose companies with the most sustainable practices are also the ones that have the best performance in the medium and long term.
Some of the main benefits of implementing sustainable measures are:
- Contribute to the well-being of society.
- Optimize resources efficiently.
- Attract strategic clients with the same principles.
- Be a leader and an example for other companies.
How to make a more sustainable company?
Just as it is important to know the criteria that measure sustainability, it is crucial to execute actions that are headed in that direction. Organizations like Climetry They offer business advice on these issues and recommend taking the following measures to address each of the ESG criteria:
Environmental care
- Reduction of electrical energy consumption.
- Investment in renewable energies.
- Proper use of resources, such as water and land.
- Optimize fuel consumption by transportation.
Social development
- Measures to ensure the well-being of workers.
- Continuous training of workers.
- Offer decent and equitable wages, as well as employment benefits.
- Seek bilateral alliances with the community and local businesses.
Economic growth
- Comply with legal and tax obligations.
- Implement instruments to guarantee transparency.
- Facilitate accountability processes at all organizational levels.
- Adopt and train company members on topics such as anti-corruption.
Bet on the environment at the Anáhuac Querétaro University
In circumstances like ours, you will be happy to know that at Anáhuac Querétaro, we design our programs in accordance with the principles of Anahuac Educational Model 2025, based on the harmony between innovation, humanity and environmental care. A vital example of this is the Bachelor of Business Administration.
Students in this degree learn first-hand the importance of directing, planning and managing the business environment with responsibility and environmental awareness. We know that it is not enough for successful entrepreneurs to graduate from our university; It is also essential to train positive action leaders, who set a transformative precedent for all industries.
Don't you believe us? By studying Business Administration in Anáhuac Querétaro, you will adapt easily in sectors such as:
- The finances
- Administrative and management operations
- Human resources
- The entrepreneurship sector and SMEs
- Marketing and the commercial area of companies.
When it comes to changing our practices to benefit the environment, there is no time to waste. If you want to start from your university stage, then studying at the Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro is the way to take.
You can learn about each of our study plans here and realize that sustainability is a transversal axis that influences each of them. This is how at Anáhuac Querétaro we seek to make a difference. Are you ready to join?
