During a lively interview at #SaskiaUnreserved, Aglaia Ntili, Managing Director of Sustainability Knowledge Group talked about sustainability and corporate responsibility pointing out that in fact all these terms might mean different things to different people across organizations.
The discussion focused on the actual concept of sustainability, what it means to the wider public but also to businesses, why it matters and how organizations can start incorporating sustainability in their overall strategies.
Having an understanding of the terms and their meaning requires constant awareness raising, education and engagement. In addition to that, there is no point of designing policies and initiatives if they are not implemented and most importantly if people and stakeholders don’t know anything about them.
Sustainability is mainly about achieving a balance as far as the impacts of an organization upon the environment, the society and the economy are concerned.
Implementing sustainability is crucial. Companies seem to be confused about where to start. But they shouldn’t be. They should first listen to what their stakeholders want and then focus on those issues that are more important to them and for the communities in which they operate. The good news is that organizations are not left alone. There are useful tools such as standards and frameworks out there which can guide them through this journey. Organizations must approach sustainability as a journey towards creating value, achieving positive change and remain transparent towards stakeholders.
One question loomed large in the mind though, where Cyprus fit in all this? Which are the advantages moving forward? Could Cyprus become eventually a sustainability hub for the region and what opportunities lie ahead?