Short-term profit is more urgent than Climate Change. I have said the quiet part out loud.
This litmus test only applies ‘if’ and only ‘if’ you are an SME. Business Sustainability requires viable financial, natural, and social resources. If an SME is not profitable, all resources should be allocated to getting the business back to financial health without damaging society environmentally or socially. The two aren’t mutually exclusive but I can understand the position of the leadership team in these circumstances for SMEs.
However, profitability or the lack thereof is not and should not be applied to large entities or multinational corporations because companies that size may not be making a profit but have the resources to be sustainable.
Uber is a perfect example of this. It took Uber 14 years to make a profit. Would that mean that during this period, Uber should implement sustainability strategically? Absolutely not.
Sustainability should not take over the strategic agenda; it should be integrated into the strategy to enhance business performance.
If you would like to understand how you can integrate sustainability to enhance your business performance, message me.