How do you use the results of your sustainability audit to improve your business strategy and operations?

The first step is to choose a sustainability framework that aligns with your business size, sector, and objectives. Popular frameworks include the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), B Impact Assessment, and ISO 14000 series. Alternatively, you can create a custom framework tailored to your specific needs and priorities. These frameworks provide the criteria, indicators, and tools necessary to evaluate and improve your sustainability performance.

A sustainability audit is more than a compliance exercise, it’s a roadmap for innovation. The results should drive strategic shifts, highlighting inefficiencies and uncovering growth opportunities. Use the data to align sustainability goals with business objectives, turning insights into actionable initiatives. Prioritize efforts that offer environmental impact and long-term value, such as energy efficiencies or waste reduction. Sustainability isn’t a static goal, it’s a dynamic approach to future-proofing your business. Choosing the right framework sets the foundation, but embedding it into your company’s DNA ensures innovation, resilience, and lasting impact.

Las auditorías internas o externas de sustentabilidad son siempre un buen ejercicio de calibración y medición. Las brechas que aparecen como resultados de estos ejercicios nos indican donde se debe poner el esfuerzo de mejora y el estándar utilizado nos indica dónde debemos llegar en nuestro nivel de desempeño por lo que tenemos todos los elementos para hacer un plan de trabajo muy concreto. Las brechas de una auditoría son las mejoras que debemos implementar. Sin embrago, previo a ese ejercicio uno debe cuestionarse internamente si ese requisito es válido o si realmente aporta al contexto de sostenibilidad de la empresa. La empresa se debería enfocar en los requisitos que aportan a su contexto, adaptar el marco y no adaptarse al marco.

Choosing a framework is the first step in managing the key decisions related to sustainability strategies. This framework must be aligned with the overall business strategy, as this is the only way to create a sustainable business with clear objectives and a roadmap for long-term success. Common standards are most effective when there is a clear understanding of the main objectives. Without this clarity, the right direction may be compromised.

I think there are several frameworks that you can choose from: GRI is one of them and definitely an extremely comprehensive one - to a degree even where it can be overwhelming. A quite nice slimmed down framework for strategic purposes is by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Granted it concentrates on climate risks, however, it gives you a good idea of the main categories you need to think of in terms of a sustainability strategy: governance, risk mgmt, strategy, targets & metrics. TCFD is now part of ISSB. Choose a framework that does not feel overwhelming and where you do not have to reinvent everything you are doing or have been doing. Otherwise a good framework is given by the (pretty exacting) EU CSRD.

By selecting a framework, businesses can ensure that their sustainability audits are comprehensive, measurable, and aligned with global best practices. This choice helps guide data collection, analysis, and reporting, laying the foundation for meaningful improvements in business strategy and operations.

Sustainability audit frameworks are a dime a dozen. Whenever I engage a client, especially if they're just starting their sustainability journey, I always encourage them to do a materiality assessment. For the uninitiated, materiality is an exercise sustainability professionals often use to gauge critical issues impacting a business. It’s different than a SWOT analysis because it gathers insights from both internal and external stakeholders, as well as factors from changes in a given industry or market. Ultimately, it helps identify for a business what its most material issues are. Hence, materiality. Without a clear understanding of what’s important to a business, how are you going to address anything at all?

To improve your business strategy and operations using the results of your sustainability audit, start by analyzing the findings to identify strengths and weaknesses. Leverage technology to capture and manage data efficiently, utilizing integrated software that consolidates insights from multiple sustainability frameworks. This approach provides a holistic view of your sustainability strategy and performance, especially important for managing a global business. Use advanced analytics to track progress in real-time, enabling informed decision-making. Additionally, foster collaboration across teams through cloud-based platforms, ensuring alignment and continuous improvement in your sustainability efforts.

Choosing a well-established sustainability framework, like GRI or SASB, is essential for maintaining consistency and enabling comparability. Research indicates that organizations that align with global standards are more effective in conveying their sustainability performance to stakeholders, thereby strengthening their credibility.

Este es el paso 1 para iniciar para implementar una estrategia de sostenibilidad, de lo contrario ¿cual es la referencia contra la que se contrastará el desempeño actual, y cuáles serán los objetivos a alcanzar?. Y podría parecer obvio, pero en este mar de marcos, modelos y estándares, las organizaciones se pierden en cuál es el marco a seleccionar para avanzar. De ahí la importancia de que dependiendo del tamaño de la organización, el sector, los directivos cuenten con un equipo mínimo que plantee las diferentes opciones y se analice cuál es el modelo(s) que la organización implementará. A lo largo del tiempo y basándose en la mejora contínua, el marco seleccionado se irá ajustando de acuerdo al desempeño de la organización.

To gather data you actually have to tap into a variety of sources. Financial accounting is only a starting point to potentially identify hot spots quickly (e.g. similarly in spend-based GHG accounting). Especially procurement, sales, and supplier data is crucial in determining sustainability impact (both from an environmental and also social perspective). Here data such as electricity, materials, transport modes and distance, customers etc can be gathered to fit the reporting of the framework chosen above.

Sticking with my materiality example, gathering data for this type of an exercise involves interviewing a good cross-section of both internal and external stakeholders. These shouldn't just be random people, though. They need to know enough about your business to truly have a valuable opinion. Some companies approach materiality by using tech to interview thousands. But, are those increased numbers adding value to the analysis or muddying the results? Be careful, too, with benchmarking against peers. While this is a good way to see where you are, consider everyone is at a different stage of sustainability maturity.

Robust data collection is critical for deriving impactful insights. It is crucial for organizations to focus on both quantitative and qualitative sustainability metrics, as this approach enables the identification of more actionable opportunities for enhancement.

Este es un punto crítico, y me atrevo a decir, doloroso, ya que se requiere la colaboración de una gran parte de la organización, desafortunadamente para algunas áreas representa más carga de trabajo, otras no cuentan con la información o no es cyonfiable y verificable. Por lo anterior no queda más que ser transparente y realista, identificando con qué información se cuenta y si es confiable, de lo contrario, el paso dos de la estrategia de sustentabilidad, es empezar a medir.

When analysing data, don't just consider the present point in time. It's far more beneficial to understand where markets are headed and how your business should prepare now for those eventualities. Otherwise, you'll just go through an entire exercise and still be a few steps behind. The goal with any auditing is to help develop the right foundations to springboard ahead.

Evaluating sustainability data provides critical insights into resource efficiency and its broader impact. Insights from McKinsey indicate that leveraging data for decision-making enhances strategic adjustments, resulting in better sustainability outcomes and increased operational efficiency.

Another benefit of using the materiality approach is that you're actively engaging stakeholders throughout the process rather than after the fact. That's especially useful for two key reasons. -Versus communicating out after, engaging during means stakeholders now have a truly vested interest in the process. It makes it more tangible because they contributed directly. -This, in turn, creates a critical internal and external dialogue that will speed up action, identify potential barriers to adoption, and build trust and credibility for your sustainability efforts.

Clear and transparent reporting of sustainability audit outcomes fosters trust among our stakeholders. Research indicates that organizations that transparently communicate their environmental impact are more likely to secure investment and foster consumer loyalty, ultimately enhancing long-term business value.

A typical audit tells you what to improve based on how your business has been performing. A materiality analysis tells you what to improve based on stakeholder demands and the movements of the market. Both have their benefits. But when we look at things holistically - especially for organisations with limited capacity and resources - an audit that helps focus attention on preparing for the future is far more worthwhile.

Una auditoría de sostenibilidad es una herramienta clave para identificar áreas de mejora y oportunidades. Utilizo sus resultados para definir objetivos concretos, ajustar mi estrategia comercial hacia la sostenibilidad, optimizar operaciones y comunicar transparentemente mi progreso, fortaleciendo así mi compromiso con un futuro más responsable.

The findings from the audit must be seamlessly incorporated into our fundamental business strategy. It is essential to prioritize initiatives that minimize environmental impact while simultaneously driving cost efficiencies and enhancing operational resilience.

To ensure the success of sustainability initiatives, it's essential to monitor and measure progress continuously. Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) allows you to track improvements over time in areas such as energy usage, waste reduction, and carbon footprint. These metrics help evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts and provide data-driven insights to make informed adjustments. By consistently monitoring results, you can refine strategies and ensure that your business evolves and adapts to emerging sustainability challenges. Regular audits also play a critical role in reassessing progress and identifying new opportunities for further improvement, fostering a culture of continuous sustainability growth.

Continuous monitoring drives our commitment to ongoing enhancement. Consistent evaluations of sustainability outcomes enable organizations to remain nimble and implement prompt modifications, fostering enduring success in sustainability as well as overall business effectiveness.

El monitoreo constante y la revisión crítica son fundamentales para asegurar el éxito de cualquier estrategia de sostenibilidad. A través de indicadores clave y retroalimentación, garantizo que mis acciones generen un impacto positivo y duradero, adaptándome a los cambios y mejorando continuamente mi desempeño.

The results of a sustainability audit guide businesses to identify key impact areas, set measurable goals, and integrate sustainability into their strategy and operations. These insights help optimize resource use, improve supply chain practices, and align processes with environmental and social objectives. Additionally, audits support transparent communication with stakeholders, foster innovation, and enable businesses to monitor progress and adapt strategies over time. By leveraging audit findings, companies can reduce risks, enhance efficiency, and create new growth opportunities while demonstrating accountability and contributing positively to society and the planet.