Over the past month, we’ve been talking quite a bit about why sustainability is important for business. And we’ve even listed various principles you can put into practice to help promote a more environmentally-conscious work environment. But so far we haven’t shown specific sustainability examples. That is, companies that are taking these ideas and making them reality. And because having a model often helps get started, we wanted to take a look at different sustainable organizations.
Now, with such a push toward environmental conservation, many companies have taken strides toward better ecological practices. And naturally, we can’t discuss them all here. But we can show you several sustainability examples that demonstrate key practices businesses can adopt. That way, if you know you need to dive deeper into the topic, you at least have a starting place.
Sustainability Examples Organizations Can Learn From
1. Patagonia
One of the companies which repeatedly shows up on lists of sustainability examples is Patagonia. It’s an American retailer for outdoor clothing, founded in 1973. As an organization, Patagonia remains transparent about materials used in its products, its supply chain, and environmental impact. Furthermore, it clearly institutes various programs to help manage and regulate resource consumption. For instance:
- Responsible Wool Standard
- Forest Stewardship Council
- Material Traceability
- Supply Chain Environmental Responsibility Program
However, sustainable enterprise goes beyond the use of natural resources, extending to social aspects as well. Patagonia works to ensure living wage for employees and utilizes Fair Trade Certified factories. After all, apparel workers are paid far less than many other employees. So, this company creates opportunities for sustainability in both environmental and social contexts.
Since 2021, Patagonia has kept 1,419 tons of plastic out of oceans by turning discarded fishing nets into clothing and gear. They also repaired 83,794 garments in one year, drastically reducing waste and use of resources.
2. Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder, a beauty and skin care producer, has pursued sustainability in its processes since its formation in 1946. As quoted, their mission is to, “bring the best to everyone we touch and to help support the environment in which we live.” Their primary sustainability pursuits revolve around:
- Carbon neutral shipping
- Renewable energy
- Responsible sourcing
- Packaging sustainability
- Ingredient transparency
The company aims to make 75-100% of its packaging recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled, or recoverable by 2025. It uses renewable solar energy to power its e-commerce data center. And furthermore, it adheres to social sustainability policies by sourcing ingredients with an eye toward impacts on communities and people groups.
3. Ikea
You probably already recognize Ikea, the Swedish company which sells ready-to-build furniture, appliances, and home décor. However, what you might not know is that they’re a great source of viable sustainability examples. They list three particular areas of focus for their efforts:
- Healthy and sustainable living
- Circular and climate positive approaches
- Fair and equal sourcing
These might sound familiar, because other brands adopt similar outlooks. However, that might prove the point that these exemplary organizations focus largely on the same areas of environmentalism and social responsibility.
Ikea has recently introduced the SOLHETTA LED bulb, which is 35% more energy efficient than previous Ikea bulbs. It also utilizes 100% renewable electricity in its factories. Furthermore, 99.5% of the wood used in Ikea products comes from recycled or Forest-Stewardship Council-certified sources.
4. LEGO
Even more than Ikea, people are sure to be familiar with the LEGO brand – especially if you step on them in the middle of the night. And ironically, even though they sell an entirely plastic product, LEGO has created initiatives to help foster greater sustainability. Perhaps the most easily manageable push is LEGO Replay, which encourages individuals to pass along bricks they aren’t using anymore.
However, LEGO also takes other routes to combat negative impacts to the environment. For example, they aim to make products with sustainable and circular materials by 2032. Furthermore, in 2023 they introduced paper-based bags rather than traditional plastic, which will be phased out by 2025. Beyond these measures, LEGO also strives to reduce emissions and keep waste out of landfills. In fact, less than 1% of waste generated from their factories goes directly to dumps.
5. Neste
Similarly to LEGO, one might not initially assume that Neste, a leading producer of oil-based fuels, would be a leader in environmentalism. However, it actually serves as one of the prime sustainability examples in this list, specifically for its attention to renewable resources. In fact, it’s poured resources into research for creating a carbon neutral and nature positive value chain by 2040.
Guided by core principles, the company focuses on climate, biodiversity, human rights, and supply chain sustainability. Of particular interest, Neste recognizes the benefits of biofuels, and plans to utilize renewable solutions as a part of its growth. For example, it has begun utilizing direct replacements to traditional fossil fuels, helping reduce jet emissions by up to 80%.
6. Apple
Apple is a company known for its groundbreaking products and solutions. So, when it comes to environmental sustainability, it’s no surprise that they take a similar approach. Their cyclical approach aims the focus at recycled and renewable materials, clean electricity, and low-carbon shipping. The primary goal is to achieve net-zero emissions across the company’s whole carbon footprint.
No matter where the starting point lies in their approach, each step flows into the next:
- Design and Source – Utilize recycled materials in the actual design of products
- Make – Use clean energy as the source for all manufacturing electricity
- Package and Ship – Reduce overall emissions from the shipment process
- Use – Completely offset products’ energy use with clean energy
- Recover – Maximize recovered materials from recycled products
So, Apple describes a fairly detailed process for achieving their plan to protect and planet while creating premiere products.
7. Microsoft
As a direct competitor to Apple, it makes sense that Microsoft would need to implement in-depth environmental protection policies. However, the approach it takes seems somewhat different, focusing on several different areas.
Essentially, Microsoft adopts four specific commitments for continued sustainability over the next several decades.
- Achieving carbon negativity by 2030 and removing historical emissions since the company’s founding in 1975
- Replenishing more water than consumed across direct operations by 2030
- Accomplishing zero waste across direct waste footprint by 2030
- Protecting more land than used during processes by 2025, and building a Planetary Computer
So far, in staying transparent with those goals, Microsoft has invested in over 23.6 million megawatt hours of renewable energy. They’ve also contracted 61.7 million m3 total water replenishment benefits, reduced waste by 18,537 metric tons, and protected 15,849 total acres of land.
8. IBM
IBM, a multinational American technology company, adopts far too many commitments to environmental sustainability to list easily here. In fact, they maintain twenty-one different environmental goals that shape their corporate processes. However, their primary focuses can be summed up as follows:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2030
- Successfully divert 90% of nonhazardous waste (by total weight) from landfills and incinerators by 2025
- Take on 100 client engagements or research projects with direct benefits to the environment by 2025
As such, IBM seeks not only to implement sustainable solutions within its own organization but also for clients. And that driving factor helps make it another great sustainability example.
9. Google
Google is an absolute powerhouse of a company, and recognizing its widespread influence, has adopted ambitious sustainability goals. Like IBM, it hopes to help inspire and achieve more environmentally conscious practices not only for its own processes but also those of anyone using their products.
Now, having invested thirty years in climate activism, Google has opted to pursue net zero emissions by 2030. Aided by their clean energy goal, to operate centers and campuses on carbon-free energy, they’re optimistic about outcomes.
Google also focuses attention on other areas of conservation, such as water stewardship and a circular economy.
10. Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a company based out of France, named the most sustainable company in the world in 2024. And perhaps one of the core reasons why they’ve managed such a feat is because of their commitment to trust. That is, upholding stakeholders to social, governance, and ethical standards to ensure corporate trust.
As more concrete goals, Schneider Electric commits to net-zero emission targets and no net biodiversity loss by 2030. The six long-term pledges are to core areas that help make the company more conscious and effective:
- Climate
- Resources
- Trust
- Equal
- Generations
- Local
These areas of focus help accomplish an array of objectives, such as preserving biodiversity, supporting employee diversity and opportunity, and empowering local teams to deliver grassroots impact.
Discover Other Examples of Sustainability
We already mentioned it at the outset of this article, but there are many companies with a strong commitment to sustainability. And even though we’ve listed ten here, you’ll likely find dozens if not hundreds of different ideas for how organization can commit themselves to environmental consciousness. Of course, you can just do a quick Google search to find others. But we also have you covered if you want to know more about sustainability on a grand scale.
Our online courses can help provide a foundation for your understanding which you can then build upon for your specific organization. So, if you’re hoping to achieve a goal of heightened awareness toward these issues, check out our courses today.
Article written by Braden Norwood
Last updated August 29, 2024
