Aerospace, Manufacturing, Canada Integrating sustainability into corporate culture

Summary

EEM, in collaboration with Jim Banks of the Sustainable Development Association, has been assisting a prominent aircraft engine manufacturer to integrate sustainability into its business culture.

Approach and Solution

The company had developed a strong Sustainability Vision with specific and ambitious goals targeted to coincide with the company’s 2028 centenary. To ensure the success of the 2028 Vision and its champions, a sound understanding of sustainability and a persistent focus on the targets by all the company’s decision makers was deemed essential.

Prior to EEM’s mandate, Sustainability Training Workshops had been held in small teams across the company, touching all functions, divisions, and locations. The first order of business was to tap into the wealth of ideas inspired by the workshops, assessing significant contributions and selecting some candidate ideas for special recognition and follow-up.

A strategy session was also held to help the company’s small sustainability team prioritize actions to reach the 2028 Vision and set some short and medium term objectives to focus resources.

Effort was also applied to improving internal communication with the design of a Sustainability newsfeed and targeted communication materials. In term of the external environment, information of strategic importance such as the implications from the recent climate change talks, was also analyzed and communicated to the company’s leadership.

Knowing the sustainability agenda of the company and its operating context, the EEM team was also able to provide input into keynote presentations delivered by the sustainability team members at various industry events.

Results

EEM’s work to date has raised the profile of sustainability within the company and has put in place the building blocks to further integrate sustainability thinking into core business. Upcoming work will involve the engagement and competency development of a network of sustainability champions across the organization.