In recent years, and especially in the last 18 months during the pandemic, we’ve seen public awareness growing as never before on the topics of climate change, air quality, biodiversity, waste and circular economy, health and wellbeing. Governments and society alike are increasingly expecting all organisations, big and small, to play their part, and to help to build back responsibly.
One sector in particular being held to higher standards because of its goals and ethics, which are naturally expected to align with the goals of sustainable development, is charities.
Given that charities are driven more by values than self-interest, sustainability is considered a high priority. There are also unique demands on charities to demonstrate that all investment and occupied real estate is aligned to the charitable objectives. This can result in a challenging balancing act where trade-offs are required - some of which are at the very heart of sustainability. For example, some vulnerable groups supported by the charity sector are more disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change, such as the elderly or the rising number of people likely to be made homeless by climate change.
With so many factors to consider, how can the charity sector drive greater progress with regards to sustainability? The best place to start is determining which issues are material for the organisation and which impacts need to be accounted for, then which metrics are most suitable to manage performance in those areas. Taking a ‘bottom up’ approach by considering each activity or asset class individually is usually the most efficient way to begin the development of a strategy.
Once the strategy is set, in order to drive sustainable processes and performance, shape business strategy and engage stakeholders, many businesses have used reporting as a tool to focus their core plan. Integrating sustainability KPIs with other business performance indicators helps to identify opportunities and the management of risks. While there is mandatory reporting legislation that charities need to be aware of on the horizon such as TCFD (Task Force of Climate Related Financial Disclosure), there is also a raft of voluntary reporting frameworks to consider such as GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) that can augment reporting further.
The charity sector, by its very nature, is future-focused and built on a foundation of wanting its beneficiaries and, where relevant, buildings to be looked after for years to come. Through a clear, innovative and forward thinking approach to sustainability, the charity sector is well placed to ensure that environmental, social and governance factors are integrated into organisations’ cultures alongside their core missions.
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