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The climate changes and environmental crisis that we face today is increasing day by day and it has been pretty clear that large businesses and companies have a significant role to play in this. This has left many large organizations concerned about the impact their purchases might have on the environment and trying to avoid that by becoming more sustainable. But without the right guidance and the right talent on their team, becoming sustainable may not be that easy.
This is why companies opt for sustainability consulting to become more sustainable. Businesses are understanding the importance of ESG strategy and often take the help of a sustainability consulting firm in order to become more consulting.
In this article, we are going to discuss the different types of sustainability consulting and how they help companies and businesses to become more sustainable. But before we get into that let’s talk in brief about what sustainability consulting actually means.
What is Sustainability Consulting?
Sustainability consulting is nothing but helping a business or company to maintain sustainable practices so that the negative impact on the environment could be reduced. This is usually done with the help of a third-party organization that provides the necessary guidance to the business or company.
The more specific definition of sustainability consulting is, “sustainability consulting is a practice that supports businesses as they transition from conventional business models and practices to higher standards of social and environmental responsibility”.
There are different types of sustainability consulting that organizations follow in order to help the companies. However, the basic structure is usually the same.
The organizations first assess the environmental impact of the company through various metrics, then they will progress to create a certain set of goals to combat this, and then finally develop an action plan that the business or company will have to follow.
Different Types of Sustainability Consulting
Now that we have discussed what sustainability consulting is, it is now time to have a brief look at the different types of sustainability consulting. Sustainability training is basically divided into three categories or types— audits, testing and verification; technical support; and strategy or planning.
All three categories work in the same structure that we discussed above but have different aspects that they target. We will learn more about the different business aspects that each of the category targets in the following types.
1. Audits, testing and verification
In this category of sustainability training, the organization collects environmental data to check the environmental impact that the business and its activities have. It also involves comparing this data with the business’ competition. This helps to understand where the company stands on sustainability grounds.
2. Technical support
In this category, the organization provides the business with consulting regarding environmentally friendly projects, energy projects, green construction, and waste management systems. By making more environmentally friendly choices in their projects and products, businesses can reduce the environmental harm they may cause otherwise and become more sustainable.
3. Strategy and planning
In this category, the consulting organization helps businesses to develop a strategic plan to increase sustainability. To form a good strategy, proper assessment, goal setting, and action plan are extremely important. Without the same, any future goals become hard to achieve.
The above three are the main types of sustainability consulting that most of the organizations follow. Sustainability consulting is provided by different types of organizations.
Other than this, there are four different types of sustainability consulting organizations that you should be aware about. These are large consulting companies, boutique consultancies, non-profit organizations, and freelance or solo practitioners. To know more about this and how it can benefit your business, get in touch with a sustainability consulting firm like Ethos Sustainability Solutions today to get started with your green journey!
