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It is becoming more popular to see a sustainability policy in the corporate statement or the company's website, but this eco-friendly statement should not be mere window dressing. The sustainability policy is a restatement of the company's new vision in light of the pressing issues of the day. Instead of treating these social issues as an addenda to the real mission of the company, the sustainability policy is a message to all stakeholders of the intention to bring these announced concepts into the daily operation. Smaller companies are more fleet-of-foot and can adjust to change more adroitly than the larger company. Changing the direction of a large corporation means that everyone needs to be informed, and everyone needs to cooperate in the new direction of the company. To gain the easy support of the stakeholders (shareholders, management, workers, customers, and community), the sustainability policy is the tool that is used to explain the new direction and to show the value for the decision-makers for this change. Sustainability policies can be brief or may be several pages long, but this is actually an opportunity to create or revisit the company's mission statement and clarify its goals in light of an environmentally-strained world and economy. Preparing a sustainability policy is not as simple as copying the policy of another company from the Internet. The process requires the professional insights of a Certified Sustainability Officer. Basic training for a sustainability officer is invaluable in order to merge the needs of the business with the needs of the community. While environmentalism has seemed to be anti-business in the past, it is time to take the high ground on this argument and do the right thing while running a profitable business. Smaller businesses might choose to go directly into a sustainability plan, because the process of decision-making and company direction is vested in only a few key people. Small and mid-sized companies that are controlled by executive decision rather than a board can incorporate Green and sustainable elements by planned improvements that include Green practices. Therefore, the sustainability policy is often viewed as optional. Regardless of the size of the business, the need to incorporate environmental considerations into the daily operation is an important and needful decision that should not be ignored.
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