Page 18 - IO1 The environmental sylabus for VET providers_Final

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But how do organisations manage to transform themselves into green
businesses? It is not easy and, in fact, very few company leaders are able to
achieve widespread change. This is due because most of the companies do

not understand what sustainability really is, they only focus their efforts on
technical aspects and in the implementation of eco-innovation while they
forget the importance of having an integrated sustainability strategy that
actively involves all members of the organisation.
The main strategies that organisations that want to become green companies
should consider in order to achieve a real integral change are the following:
Transformation through cultural change
It involves getting every member of the company to change the way they do
business. Integrating a green approach into the organisation's Corporate Social
Responsibility. Sometimes this can be particularly difficult to achieve, due to

resistance to change; however, it is possible if you understand the reasons why
members of the organisation are opposed to it.
However, the key to turning the new vision into a reality will be to make it clear
because for achieving this change, the active participation of everyone is
necessary, since everyone is a key player in the results obtained, whether good
or bad.
Implementing eco-innovation tools
Adapting technological innovations to achieve sustainable business practices

is a path that green businesses must follow:
• Build trust through changes that bring quick results.
• Invest in innovation projects, such as a green product line.
• Implement strategies that involve a total change in their system, which

requires even more investment.

In order to tackle climate change globally, it is necessary for organisations to
seize the opportunities of sustainability and to transform themselves
comprehensively into green businesses.
To this end, tools such as ecolabels, environmental certifications or
environmental products declarations will greatly help companies to achieve
the desired green transformation and, above all, to communicate and project

these achievements to other organisations as well as to customers, suppliers
and other stakeholders.
Collaboration with stakeholders
When an organisation decides to start on the road to becoming a green
company, another aspect to consider is to establish links with other institutions
interested in the subject, which will be of great help, since, for example, if it is a
company that has already gone through processes that are about to be

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an
endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot
be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.