Antaris Consulting has been selected to work with the Southern Region Waste Management Office to help implement its Green Enterprise Project on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Finance, Community and Local Government under the national Green Enterprise Programme. The focus of this project is to encourage and demonstrate the utilisation of green credentials among SMEs to help create awareness of the benefits that can be gained.
To have green credentials is becoming increasingly important for the survival and growth of businesses today. Making the move to becoming a green business will reduce a company’s environmental impact and could reduce overhead costs. But there is much more to be gained that can contribute to success and growth, such as ensuring compliance with standards and regulations, strengthening reputation and increasing loyalty among customers, improving effectiveness of employees and creating value in the supply chain by encouraging engagement with stakeholders.
However, it is one thing to have green credentials but it is another knowing what to do with them in order to reap the benefits. There is one mistake commonly made which prevents companies from utilising their green credentials effectively and that is lack of communication. Most companies fail to successfully publicise and communicate their sustainability which could put them at a disadvantage. For example, you wouldn’t leave out an important skill or achievement from your CV when trying to get recognised in a job application so why do it when trying to get customers and other stakeholders to notice you? Proactively promoting environmental performance helps companies stand out against competitors by making them more attractive thus creating unique selling points that will help grow the business and obtain a lead over competition.