Why should your organization be a good steward of the environment; because its good for business and it’s the only planet we have.  Now before you label me an environmentalist wacko, please read what I think is a practical philosophy about the environment.  My belief is that we should minimize our use of non-renewable resources, optimize our use of renewable resources, and put things back the way we found them.  In other words, let’s be good stewards of our environment so we protect it for our children and their children.

So what does that mean for business?  If we need oil, use it very sparingly; if nuclear power provides a cost effective alternative, use it with reasonable safeguards.  If we need wood, use cultivated growth and replant.  If we need water, clean up what we use before returning it to the supply.  And if we need to mine off a mountaintop because there is no other option (although there usually is), then create a new park with its own beauty to replace what we’ve taken.

If there exists natural beauty that we believe is irreplaceable, perhaps the aforementioned mountaintop, then let us, the public, buy it, take it off the market and place it in the public trust.  The Nature Conservancy is great at doing exactly that sort of thing in cooperation with federal, state, and local governments.  If I’m a farmer, rancher, or business owner who invested in my land, don’t just tell me I can’t use it because it’s home to an endangered species, compensate me for the loss of use.  Responsible resource use and management; that’s my platform and I’m sticking with it.

Based on my experience I believe being a responsible steward of the environment can help keep production costs down, resulting in a more affordable product or service.  It can help focus on reducing waste and rework.  It can trigger investigation into more affordable and renewable resources and alternative production methods.  And it can prevent or limit degradation of your surroundings and loss of scarce resources that could ultimately impact your ability to maintain peak performance.  In short, being a good steward of your environment can enhance your sustainability over the long haul.  (Yes, sustainability is one of the few new business buzzwords that I like.)

So why should your organization be environmentally responsible; because responsible resource use and management is good for business.  It will help control costs, preserve resources, generate new customers, and build your reputation and integrity in the marketplace.  Try it, market it, and measure the results (The Balanced Scorecard, Kaplan and Norton).