ICRS Fellows Hub: Action Learning Session
Sustainability can be a lonely job. It is a privilege to be in a room, with a group of people in the same profession, never mind having that group of people all bring their expertise to your issues and concerns. It was good to hear that my issues resonated.
ICRS Fellows Hub: Action Learning
The ICRS Fellows Hub recently held its second Action Learning event to allow Fellows to share knowledge, experiences and insights on fundamental topics of concern to members.
Although a smaller group attended than previously, fewer numbers did not diminish the quality of the discussion.
For example, one participant challenged the group to develop a clear framework and narrative for sustainability and responsible business across their firm. They are responsible for a programme of activities in a relatively sizeable multinational business with leadership attention and engagement around the issues. The company lacks a clear and compelling strategic framework to tell people about its work.
The group identified several strategies, which included:
- In the short term, we explored the value of benchmarking, conducting a materiality analysis and an employee survey to assess the importance of sustainability to the business.
- In the longer term, it was recommended that the business seek to align itself with relevant international standards and accreditations (GRI, SASB, UNGC, etc.) and seek to gain further external recognition through awards and certification (CDP, SBTi, etc.).
ICRS Fellow Janice Phayre, who took part in the event, was pleased to hear from others about their experiences and how they had moved along similar paths in their sustainability journeys:
"Sustainability can be a lonely job. I’m old enough to remember how I had to hold a lunch and learn to explain what sustainability means.
It is a privilege to be in a room, with a group of people in the same profession, never mind having that group of people all bring their expertise to your issues and concerns. It was good to hear that my issues resonated.
There were different perspectives and people with different qualifications and experiences, which gave me a panoply of amazing, insightful and practical ways to address my needs. I would recommend coming along wholeheartedly".