Sustainable Management

Embedding Sustainability Self-Assessment

Embedding Sustainability Self-Assessment

This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. You are free to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) or adapt (remix, transform, and build upon) the material with appropriate attribution. You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests that the authors or The Embedding Project endorse you or your use of our work product.

Bertels, S. (2014) Embedding Sustainability Self-Assessment. Embedding Project. DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.3901908.

Prime 17

Cultivate Champions 18

Build Readiness 19 Trigger 19

Explain 20

Look Beyond 20

shape identity 21 Brand 21

Share Stories 22

Mission, Vision, Values 22

signal 23 Self-regulate 23

Commit 24

Model 24

Inform 25

Follow Up 25

Recognize 26

demonstRate 27 Employee Wellbeing 27

Invest in Communities 28

Resolve Inconsistencies 28

Link 29

Leverage Interest 29

Tackle Issues 30

manage talent 31 Recruit 31

Onboard 32

Develop 32

Contents

instRuctions 1 sample Full Question 2 plan 3 Envision 3

Prioritize 4

Sustainability Goals 4

Strategy 5

impRove 6 Review 6

Root Causes 7

Ask Employees 7

Listen 8

innovate 9 Improve Operations 9

Improve Products and Services 10

Think Systemically 10

Internal Knowledge 11

Explore 11

Pilot 12

connect outwaRds 13 Scan 13

Benchmark 14

Standards 14

Feedback 15

External Knowledge 15

engage leadeRs 16 Frame 16

Ask Leaders 17

assign 33 Sustainability Roles 33

Allocate to Senior Leaders 34

Personal Goals 34

Compensate 35

Promote 35

integRate 36 Governance 36

Risk 37

Policies 37

Procedures 38

Business Planning 38

Business Processes and Systems 39

assess pRogRess 40 Measure 40

Information Systems 41

Analytics 41

Report 42

Verify 42

the emBedding FRamewoRk 43 what does youR pReliminaRy selF-assessment tell you? 44 About the Embedding Project 46 acknowledgments 47

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 1

To help you gain familiarity with the Embedding Framework, we have created a self-assessment workbook that is a simplified version of Embedding Project’s full practices assessment process. If you have not already done so, we recommend you read “Introducing the Embedding Framework.” The intention of this self-assessment workbook is to allow you to gauge the degree to which each of the 60 practices in the framework is embedded in your organization.

Participants in the full practices assessment process make use of the comprehensive version of the questionnaire to assess their position more accurately and with a greater degree of granularity, as well as calibrate their responses against those of other organizations. In addition, participants in a full practices assessment process will see their data plotted against our evolving maturity model that takes into account the sequencing of practices and helps them to prioritize their next steps. For your interest, we have included one of the questions in its full form on page 2.

Undertake your preliminary self-assessment as follows:

Beginning on page 3, read the simplified versions of each of the 60 assessment questions and check the appropriate box below each question to assess the degree to which each practice is embedded in your organization, from low (if your organization does not engage in this practice at all or only at an ad-hoc level), to medium (if your organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way), to high (if this practice is well embedded in your organization). Use the space below each questions to make any notes that would help you support your answer.

On page 43 we have provided a simplified version of the embedding framework that will enable you to gain a visual sense of the distribution of your efforts. Once you have completed the questions, detach page 43 and color in the wedges in the outer ring following these instructions:

• Color to the innermost dotted line if your organization engages in the practice at an ad hoc level

• Color to the middle dotted line if your organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way

• Color in to the outer line if this practice is well embedded in your organization

Instructions

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 2

Sample Full Question

ENVISION

Engage in a process to make sense of a set of future scenarios and envision a sustainable future in which the organization is able to operate in a way that adheres to environmental limits and enhances social foundations

To what extent do you envision future sustainability scenarios in order to inform what you do today?

0. We do not make any attempts to envision future sustainability scenarios in order to inform what we do today.

1. We have discussions about what our organization’s sustainable future might look like, but the process is quite informal and concentrated among a small set of people.

2. We are starting to develop an understanding of where we are headed in terms of sustainability (possibly using future thinking tools such as forecasting, backcasting, or scenario planning). We are beginning to use organizational and external data to inform a set of scenarios but these do not yet translate into informing our goals.

3. We make use of future thinking tools to envision sustainability scenarios. This process includes external data on the environmental and social thresholds of the communities in which we operate. We use the results of this process to inform our long-term and short-term sustainability goals but this process does not yet drive our core strategy.

4. Our core strategy team uses rigorous future sustainability scenarios to inform our organization’s overall short-term and long-term goals. Based on this work, we have a good sense of how our actions impact the ecosystems and social systems within which we operate and how quickly we need to change, resulting in meaningful changes in our business level strategies and targets.

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 3

Plan Develop an understanding of what it would look like for your organization to operate in a way that adheres to environmental limits and enhances social foundations and develop a plan to help your organization move towards this future state.

ENVISION

Engage in a process to make sense of a set of future scenarios and envision a sustainable future in which the organization is able to operate in a way that adheres to environmental limits and enhances social foundations

To what extent do you envision future sustainability scenarios in order to inform what you do today?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 4

PRIORITIZE

Identify a set of material economic, environmental and social issues based on an understanding of the organization’s positive and negative influences on the ecosystems and social systems in which it operates

To what extent have you identified your material economic, environmental and social issues based on an understanding of your positive and negative influences on the ecosystems and social systems in which you operate?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

Develop organizational and business unit goals and targets that would enable operating in a way that adheres to environmental limits and enhances social foundations

To what extent have you set organizational and business unit goals and targets that address environmental limits and enhance social foundations?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 5

STRATEGY

Incorporate consideration of environmental limits and social foundations into the organization’s core strategy-making process

To what extent do you integrate sustainability into your core strategy-making process?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 6

Improve Build internal capacity to revisit and evaluate past sustainability efforts and mistakes. Put mechanisms in place to encourage and enable your employees to provide input on how your sustainability performance might be improved.

REVIEW

Revisit the organization’s efforts and progress towards its sustainability goals and commitments and determine whether changes in approach are needed

To what extent do you routinely revisit your efforts towards sustainability to determine whether you are meeting your goals and commitments and whether changes in approach are needed?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 7

ROOT CAUSES

Proactively seek to understand and learn from prior incidents, problems or concerns related to sustainability

To what extent do you proactively seek to understand and learn from prior incidents, problems or concerns related to sustainability?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

ASK EMPLOYEES

Proactively seek employees’ opinions and ideas about how to approach and solve sustainability issues

To what extent do you seek opinions and ideas from employees about how to approach and solve sustainability issues?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 8

LISTEN

Foster a culture that is receptive to employees’ opinions and ideas about sustainability

To what extent do you foster a culture of listening to employee ideas about sustainability?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 9

Innovate Seek out ways to improve your organization’s sustainability performance by thinking systemically and considering the full lifecycle of your products and services. Develop formal and informal channels to enable your employees to participate in this process.

IMPROVE OPERATIONS

Improve the sustainability performance of your operations

To what extent have you improved the sustainability performance of your operations?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 10

IMPROVE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Understand and improve the sustainability of products and services both in terms of their production and their performance

To what extent do you make efforts to understand and improve the sustainability performance of your products and services?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

THINK SYSTEMICALLY

Consider the full lifecycle impact of products and services (for example in the design, development, delivery, use, end of life and recommissioning stages) and how decisions made across the business and value chain are connected in terms of their influence on the ecosystems and social systems in which the organization operates

To what extent do you approach understanding your organization’s sustainability by assessing connections between environmental and social impacts across the business and the value chain?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 11

INTERNAL KNOWLEDGE

Encourage the sharing of sustainable ideas and solutions among employees across the organization through internal knowledge networks and communities of practice

To what extent do you encourage and support the exchange of sustainability ideas and solutions among employees across the organization?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EXPLORE

Encourage employees to try new things or develop their own solutions, and provide resources to aid them

To what extent do you encourage employees to try new things or develop their own solutions, and provide resources to aid them?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 12

PILOT

Make a formal decision to undertake new initiatives or practices as a test or trial with a clear start point, end point, and associated set of evaluative activities

To what extent do you support the formal piloting of sustainability initiatives and projects?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 13

Connect Outwards Gather and exchange information with actors outside your organization and make use of standards in order to benchmark and improve your organization’s performance and the performance of others.

SCAN

Make use of systems or processes to perceive and recognize external information and trends related to sustainability

To what extent do you make use of systems or processes to scan for external sustainability information and trends?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 14

BENCHMARK

Compare the organization’s sustainability processes and performance with the performance of other organizations

To what extent do you benchmark your sustainability processes and performance against those of other organizations?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

STANDARDS

Comply with a recognized set of external standards related to environmental and/or social performance

To what extent do you adhere to recognized sets of external standards related to sustainability performance?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 15

FEEDBACK

Solicit input from those outside the organization on its priorities and its performance against them

To what extent do you solicit input from those outside your organization on your sustainability priorities and your performance against them?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EXTERNAL KNOWLEDGE

Exchange sustainability knowledge with other organizations with the aim of generating system-wide improvements

To what extent do you exchange sustainability knowledge with other organizations?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 16

Identify and support formal and informal leaders across the organization to help them better understand how sustainability fits into your operations and to help them contribute effectively to making the changes needed to further your sustainability progress.

FRAME

Communicate the importance of sustainability by aligning it with the varying priorities of different leaders across the organization

To what extent are you able to develop a set of distinct but complementary frames that communicate the importance of sustainability in a way that resonates across your leadership team and beyond?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

Engage Leaders

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 17

ASK LEADERS

Proactively seek senior and mid-level management’s opinions about how to improve the organization’s sustainability performance

To what extent do you proactively seek senior and mid-level management’s opinions about how to improve your sustainability performance?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

PRIME

Prepare future organizational leaders to better incorporate sustainability into their actions and decision-making

To what extent do your emerging leader programs prepare future leaders to better incorporate sustainability into their actions and decision-making?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 18

CULTIVATE CHAMPIONS

Identify influential individuals and support them to become sustainability champions

To what extent do you identify influential individuals and support them to become sustainability champions?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 19

Prepare employees for their role in supporting your organization’s sustainability vision by helping them see the positive and negative consequences of particular actions, helping them understand how sustainability applies to their everyday work, and challenging their existing assumptions about sustainability.

TRIGGER

Disrupt the status quo by helping employees see a positive vision of the future and/or the negative impacts of unsustainable behaviour

To what extent do you disrupt the status quo to help employees see a positive vision of the future or help employees see the impacts of unsustainable behaviour?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

Build Readiness

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 20

EXPLAIN

Explain how sustainability connects to an employee’s everyday experiences and work

To what extent do you help employees to understand how sustainability applies to your organization and their everyday work?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

LOOK BEYOND

Raise the level of awareness and understanding of sustainability through the provision of information that challenges existing assumptions, profiles new technologies or presents alternate visions of the future

To what extent do you make attempts to raise employees’ awareness of sustainability through the provision of information that helps them challenge their assumptions and introduces them to cutting edge ideas?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 21

Build sustainability into the fabric of your organization by explicitly referencing it in your mission, vision, and values; employing a brand to communicate your sustainability vision; and encouraging the development of a cohesive narrative about sustainability to help shape your sustainability journey.

BRAND

Employ characteristics (e.g. visual, cultural or symbolic) that call to mind sustainability

To what extent does your brand communicate your sustainability vision and commitments to employees and others?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

Shape Identity

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 22

SHARE STORIES

Build a capacity for and acceptance of the sharing of sustainability stories and anecdotes as a means to inform the organization’s sustainability journey

To what extent have you built a capacity for and acceptance of the sharing of sustainability stories and anecdotes as a means to inform the organization’s sustainability journey?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

MISSION, VISION, VALUES

Integrate sustainability into the organization’s mission, vision and values

To what extent do you make explicit statements about sustainability in communicating your organization’s mission, vision, values, and/or core purpose?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 23

Signal Undertake actions to communicate the importance of sustainability to your employees by making external commitments and by establishing internal processes for follow up and recognition of sustainability efforts.

SELF-REGULATE

Adopt more stringent practices than mandated by regulation or common standards

To what extent do you implement voluntary initiatives and adopt more stringent practices than mandated by regulation or common standards?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 24

COMMIT

Have the organization and/or senior leadership team make a public commitment to sustainability goals and targets

To what extent does your organization and your senior leadership team make its commitment to sustainability public?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

MODEL

Managers visibly fulfill the organization’s desired sustainability behaviors and through their actions demonstrate their commitment and their expectations of others

To what extent does organizational leadership model the organization’s desired sustainability behaviors and through their actions demonstrate their commitment and their expectations of others?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 25

INFORM

Keep employees informed, apprised, and up-to-date on efforts and progress related to sustainability

To what extent do your managers ensure that they keep employees informed about the status of ongoing sustainability projects and initiatives including which initiatives are being pursued (or not pursued) and why?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

FOLLOW UP

Regularly monitor and enquire about the status of sustainability tasks

To what extent do your frontline managers regularly follow up with employees to monitor and enquire about the status of sustainability tasks in your organization?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 26

RECOGNIZE

Show awareness of, approval of, or appreciation for efforts to implement sustainability through informal accolades

To what extent do you recognize efforts to implement sustainability (such as coming up with solutions to sustainability problems, devising efforts to save energy or reduce waste, and volunteering) through rewards and recognition?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 27

Demonstrate Invest resources to ensure that your organization’s commitment to sustainability aligns with its on-the-ground actions and that your organization is working towards positively impacting its work force, the environment, and society.

EMPLOYEE WELLBEING

Provide programs or initiatives to support the wellbeing of employees

To what extent does your organization signal its commitment to employee wellbeing?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 28

INVEST IN COMMUNITIES

Contribute resources to the communities within which the organization operates and encourage and enable employees to do the same

To what extent do you contribute resources to the communities within which you operate and encourage and enable employees to do the same?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

RESOLVE INCONSISTENCIES

Identify and eliminate perceptions of inconsistencies between stated intentions and on the ground actions

To what extent do you Identify and eliminate perceptions of inconsistencies between your sustainability commitments and your on the ground actions?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 29

LINK

Bring sustainability down to the individual level by connecting the impact of everyday actions at work with sustainability at home (and vice versa); connect organizational sustainability activities to personal sustainability activities (and vice versa); make it easier for employees to make choices that favour sustainability

To what extent do you encourage employees to bring their personal sustainability behaviors to work or connect organizational sustainability activities to their personal lives?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

LEVERAGE INTEREST

Condone, encourage, and support grassroots efforts of employees and engage interested employees to help identify and reconcile inconsistencies and spread environmentally and socially responsible behaviours

To what extent do you encourage and support grassroots efforts and/or engage interested employees to identify and reconcile inconsistencies and help spread environmentally and socially responsible behaviours?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 30

TACKLE ISSUES

Work with other organizations to try to achieve broader sustainability goals that benefit the environment and/or society

To what extent do you collaborate with other organizations to try and achieve shared sustainability goals that benefit the environment and/or society?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 31

Make investments into ensuring that your employees possess the competencies and knowledge needed to support your sustainability vision by including sustainability in the recruitment and onboarding processes and by providing professional development opportunities.

RECRUIT

Include sustainability as an element of the recruitment process by promoting the organization’s sustainability commitments or by assessing a candidate’s sustainability values and/or competencies

To what extent do you include sustainability as an element of the recruitment process by promoting your sustainability commitments and/or by assessing a candidate’s sustainability values and/or competencies (such as interdisciplinary thinking or an understanding of lifecycles and systems)?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

Manage Talent

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 32

ONBOARD

Incorporate sustainability training and socialization into the organization’s onboarding process

To what extent do you incorporate sustainability training and socialization into a new employee’s onboarding process?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

DEVELOP

Invest in identifying, assessing and developing the competencies and knowledge that employees need to deliver on the organization’s sustainability commitments

To what extent do you invest in identifying, assessing and developing the competencies and knowledge that employees need to deliver your sustainability commitments?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 33

Assign Clearly establish accountability for delivering on your organization’s sustainability vision by establishing sustainability roles, allocating responsibility to senior leaders, and translating organizational goals and targets into employee responsibilities. Support accountability by incorporating sustainability criteria into compensation and promotion.

SUSTAINABILITY ROLES

Establish roles or responsibilities within the organization that allocate sustainability responsibilities

To what extent have you established roles and responsibilities within the organization to allocate sustainability responsibilities?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 34

ALLOCATE TO SENIOR LEADERS

Allocate the responsibility of delivering on the sustainability agenda to the most senior leadership roles within the organization

To what extent do you allocate the responsibility for delivering on the sustainability agenda to senior leaders?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

PERSONAL GOALS

Translate organizational sustainability goals and targets into employee responsibilities and expectations

To what extent do you translate organizational sustainability goals and targets into employee responsibilities and expectations?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 35

COMPENSATE

Link employee compensation (salaries, wages, incentives and commissions) to the achievement of set sustainability objectives

To what extent do you link employee compensation to the achievement of set sustainability objectives?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

PROMOTE

Move people with sustainability values and skills into higher positions in the organization through incorporating sustainability criteria into decisions about advancement

To what extent do you move people with sustainability values and skills into higher positions in the organization through incorporating sustainability criteria into decisions about advancement?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 36

Integrate Build sustainability into the plans, policies, and processes that guide and support your organization’s daily work.

GOVERNANCE

Incorporate fundamental considerations of environmental and social factors into the governance of the organization

To what extent do you incorporate fundamental considerations of environmental and social factors into the governance of the organization?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 37

RISK

Incorporate sustainability considerations into the organization’s risk process

To what extent do you integrate sustainability into your risk assessment process?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

POLICIES

Develop and put into use policies, codes of conduct, and management standards related to sustainability

To what extent do you create and make use of organizational policies, codes of conduct, and management standards related to sustainability?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 38

PROCEDURES

Outline and equip employees to enact the procedures that are required to deliver on the organization’s sustainability commitments

To what extent have you aligned your procedures to guide employees in enacting your sustainability policies?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

BUSINESS PLANNING

Incorporate sustainability into the organization’s business planning process

To what extent do you integrate sustainability into your business planning process?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 39

BUSINESS PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS

Ensure that the organization’s existing business processes and systems are in alignment with delivering on its sustainability commitments

To what extent have you undertaken a process to ensure that your existing business processes and systems are in alignment with delivering on your sustainability commitments (for instance, project management systems; design processes; and accounting or financial management systems)?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 40

Assess Progress Build an understanding of where your organization is, where it needs to go, and whether it is on the right track to get there by capturing, storing, analyzing, and reporting on sustainability data, and by rigorously verifying the accuracy of the data you collect.

MEASURE

Assess and quantify the organization’s sustainability impacts and contributions

To what extent do you measure your sustainability impacts and contributions?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 41

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Use information systems to collect, store and render sustainability data accessible

To what extent have you developed information systems to support your sustainability efforts?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

ANALYTICS

Use, combine, and display sustainability data in meaningful ways to generate new insights

To what extent do you use analytics and algorithms to combine and display sustainability data in meaningful ways to generate new insights?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 42

REPORT

Document and publicly share the organization’s sustainability performance and progress

To what extent do you report on your sustainability performance?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

VERIFY

Undertake systematic assessments to form an opinion on whether statements about actual circumstances or past performance are true and correct

To what extent do you verify the results of your sustainability performance?

Our organization engages in this practice at an ad-hoc level Our organization is beginning to engage in this practice in a more systematic way This practice is well embedded in our organization

Notes:

E nv

is io

n P

rio rit

iz e

S us

ta in

ab ili

ty G

oa ls

S tra

te gy

R ev

ie w

Ro ot

C au

se s

As k E

mp loy

ee s

Lis ten

Imp rov

e O per

atio ns

Imp rov

e P rod

ucts an

d S erv

ices

Thin k Sy

stem icall

y

Intern al Kn

owled ge

Explore

Pilot Scan Benchmark Standards

FeedbackExternal Knowledge FrameAsk Leaders

PrimeCultivate Cham pions

Trigger

E xplain

Look B eyond

B rand

S hare S

tories

M ission, V

ision, V alues

S el

f-R eg

ul at

e

C om

m it

M od

el

In fo

rm

Fo llo

w U

p

Re co

gn ize

Em plo

ye e

W ell

be ing

Inv es

t in C

om mu

nit ies

Re so

lve In

co ns

ist en

cie sL

ink

Lev era

ge Inte

res t

Tac kle

Issu es

Recr uit

Onboard

Develop

Sustainability Roles

Allocate to Senior Leaders

Personal Goals

Compensate

Promote

Governance

Risk

Policies

Procedures

Business Planning

Business Processes and System s

Inform ation S

ystem s

A nalytics R

eport V

erify

M easure

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 43

The Embedding Framework

Date of Assessment:

P la

n

Im pr

ov e

Innov ate

Connect Outwards

Engage LeadersBuild

R eadiness

S hape

IdentityS ig

na lDe

mo ns

tra te

Manage Talent

Assign

Integrate

A ssess

P rogress

Deliver on existing

commitments

Formal practices that leverage rules and procedures

Advance further along the path to

sustainability

Informal practices that leverage values and influence social norms

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 44

What does your preliminary self-assessment tell you?

BUMPY OR SMOOTH?

Is your wheel quite smooth or rather bumpy? A bumpy wheel suggests that your company may run the risk of advancing too far on certain practices without the internal alignment and support to sustain them.

WHAT IS THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRACTICES BETWEEN THE FOUR QUADRANTS?

Do you find that your practices cluster in particular quadrants? Are you over using some tactics and underusing others?

Formal Fulfillment: These practices aim to clarify expectations; to outline desired practices and procedures; and to assess the organization’s progress against its stated sustainability objectives.

Informal Fulfillment: Practices in this quadrant support the goal of delivering on sustainability commitments by focusing on changing the ‘hearts and minds’ of employees and in turn, their behaviors.

Informal Advancement: These practices help to build momentum through informal efforts to create an environment that is conducive to developing the new ideas needed to bring the organization closer to sustainability.

Formal Advancement: Practices in this quadrant instill capacity for change and involve the creation of structures or processes that form the foundation for future innovation towards sustainability.

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 45

HOW FAR HAVE YOU ADVANCED?

Mostly at the inner ring indicates that you are at the beginning of starting to think about what sustainability could mean for your company. You may have basic compliance around key social and environmental regulations in place and are starting to consider what some early gains, mostly around efficiencies, might be. There are lots of opportunities to progress on your journey and your focus at this point should be on establishing proof points to build the business case for your work with the core business teams while building trusting networks of colleagues with whom you can advance sustainability throughout the company.

Mostly mid-way indicates that you are beginning to embed and may have some great initiatives underway that are starting to gain traction. The opportunity now lies in translating specific projects and initiatives into ‘the way we do things around here’. The work ahead is to embed sustainability into everyday organizational policies, practices and procedures.

Most practices in the outer ring means that you are well on your way to having sustainability embedded across your company. Considerable work has been achieved in order to realize this and there is a strong culture of sustainability across the organization that is driven by the business units themselves. Your company has a strong understanding of what sustainability means to your business and real change is happening within your operations and your supply chain. The work ahead of you lies in engaging your industry to realize collective change.

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 46

About the Embedding Project

The Embedding Project is a collaboration between leading sustainability researchers and practitioners undertaking pioneering work on embedding sustainability globally. By facilitating global communities of practice, we gather the best available knowledge and, working with our practitioner members, we create practical assessments, guidebooks and tools that help you chart your company’s path to good business.

Our work is anchored in a review of prior academic and practitioner work on embedding sustainability conducted in 2010 for the Network for Business Sustainability that resulted in a framework to guide companies in their sustainability efforts. Our framework charts a portfolio of organizational practices that, together, lead to embedding and highlight the importance of balancing your efforts to deliver on your sustainability commitments while laying the foundation for the changes that will help you become more sustainable.

The initial framework was enthusiastically received by the business community and in response to requests from organizations for more information and guidance on implementation, Dr. Bertels in partnership with the Network for Business Sustainability brought together a dozen leading global companies to form an Embedding Sustainability Working Group to test and refine the framework. Working for three years with global practitioners, the framework has now been refined into a practices assessment tool that charts an organization’s maturity and embeddedness.

We invite you and your company to participate in this ongoing research and join other companies leading this effort. The Embedding Project can help you understand your past efforts, identify gaps, benchmark against your peers, prioritize next steps, and provide the guidance to do so. Our partner companies benefit through opportunities to learn from their peers in facilitated and structured processes that explore the topics that matter to you.

To learn more about how the Embedding Project could support you and your company, visit us at embeddingproject.org

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT 47

We are grateful to the organizations that participated in the Embedding Sustainability Working Group and in the creation of this guide for their commitment and support of our research.

The Embedding Project is hosted by the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University and the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town.

This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Acknowledgments

1. Text Field 80:
2. Radio Button 9: Off
3. Text Field 82:
4. Radio Button 10: Off
5. Text Field 83:
6. Radio Button 11: Off
7. Text Field 68:
8. Text Field 9:
9. Radio Button 13: Off
10. Text Field 3:
11. Text Field 4:
12. Radio Button 15: Off
13. Radio Button 16: Off
14. Radio Button 14: Off
15. Text Field 84:
16. Text Field 11:
17. Radio Button 17: Off
18. Text Field 13:
19. Text Field 14:
20. Radio Button 19: Off
21. Radio Button 20: Off
22. Text Field 15:
23. Text Field 16:
24. Radio Button 21: Off
25. Radio Button 22: Off
26. Text Field 89:
27. Radio Button 18: Off
28. Text Field 17:
29. Radio Button 23: Off
30. Text Field 19:
31. Text Field 62:
32. Radio Button 24: Off
33. Radio Button 25: Off
34. Text Field 71:
35. Text Field 72:
36. Radio Button 26: Off
37. Radio Button 27: Off
38. Text Field 21:
39. Radio Button 28: Off
40. Text Field 23:
41. Text Field 24:
42. Radio Button 30: Off
43. Radio Button 31: Off
44. Text Field 85:
45. Radio Button 29: Off
46. Text Field 25:
47. Radio Button 32: Off
48. Text Field 27:
49. Text Field 73:
50. Radio Button 33: Off
51. Radio Button 34: Off
52. Text Field 28:
53. Radio Button 35: Off
54. Text Field 30:
55. Text Field 74:
56. Radio Button 36: Off
57. Radio Button 37: Off
58. Text Field 31:
59. Radio Button 38: Off
60. Text Field 33:
61. Text Field 34:
62. Radio Button 40: Off
63. Radio Button 41: Off
64. Text Field 35:
65. Text Field 36:
66. Radio Button 42: Off
67. Radio Button 43: Off
68. Text Field 86:
69. Text Field 37:
70. Radio Button 44: Off
71. Text Field 39:
72. Text Field 40:
73. Radio Button 46: Off
74. Radio Button 47: Off
75. Text Field 41:
76. Text Field 42:
77. Radio Button 48: Off
78. Radio Button 49: Off
79. Text Field 87:
80. Radio Button 45: Off
81. Text Field 43:
82. Radio Button 50: Off
83. Text Field 45:
84. Text Field 75:
85. Radio Button 51: Off
86. Radio Button 52: Off
87. Text Field 46:
88. Radio Button 53: Off
89. Text Field 48:
90. Text Field 66:
91. Radio Button 54: Off
92. Radio Button 55: Off
93. Text Field 76:
94. Text Field 77:
95. Radio Button 56: Off
96. Radio Button 57: Off
97. Text Field 50:
98. Radio Button 58: Off
99. Text Field 52:
100. Text Field 53:
101. Radio Button 60: Off
102. Radio Button 61: Off
103. Text Field 54:
104. Text Field 55:
105. Radio Button 62: Off
106. Radio Button 63: Off
107. Text Field 88:
108. Radio Button 59: Off
109. Text Field 56:
110. Radio Button 64: Off
111. Text Field 58:
112. Text Field 60:
113. Radio Button 65: Off
114. Radio Button 66: Off
115. Text Field 78:
116. Text Field 79:
117. Radio Button 67: Off
118. Radio Button 68: Off
119. Text Field 90: