Sustainable development: a competitive advantage?
As an entrepreneur, integrating sustainable development practices may be beneficial to your business. Here are a few examples:
A positive impact on the environment
By integrating sustainable practices to your business, you help reduce waste, protect natural resources and fight climate change. Every action counts, and your efforts can inspire others to follow suit.
Attractiveness to consumers
By committing to sustainable development, you can distinguish yourself from the competition and build loyalty with clients who share your values. More and more consumers are taking the time to gather information about sustainability before making a purchase or choosing a service provider.
Innovation and competitiveness
Sustainable development encourages innovation. By rethinking your processes and adopting ecological solutions, you can create new products and services, and position yourself as a leader in your sector.
Download our free workbook. Find out how to improve sustainable practices in your business!
Tools for your business
One in three entrepreneurs still hasn’t integrated sustainable development to their business, mainly because of a lack of familiarity and information on the topic.
Here is what we are offering you:
Get informed
- Read the articles in the “Sustainable development” section of our toolkit.
- Explore the foundations of sustainable practices by training, reading case studies and attending events on the topic to understand how other entrepreneurs are involved in sustainability.
- Draw inspiration from other entrepreneurs’ development practices by reading our blog posts.
- Talk to your employees and partners to identify social, economic and environmental practices that can be implemented in your business.
Take some time to reflect
Download our Workbook: Make sustainable development part of your business. Through targeted questions and exercises, you will be guided to identify your priorities, imagine concrete solutions and reflect on the impact your business could have as well as the legacy you wish to leave behind.
Get started
Here are a few ideas for inspiration:
- Start with simple initiatives that foster sustainability, such as reducing energy consumption at the office or recycling materials.
- Encourage your employees and partners to adopt environmentally responsible habits.
- Improve your employees’ working conditions by developing equity, diversity and inclusion policies.
- Strengthen your relationships with the community by getting involved in a non-profit organization.
- Integrate energy efficiency strategies that let you reduce your operating costs.
- Explore opportunities for innovation and economic diversification that could increase the resilience of your business for future challenges.
Don’t forget to regularly analyze the financial impact of your sustainability initiatives to ensure they generate a return on investment.
Every entrepreneur can make a difference
We believe that all entrepreneurs have the potential to be true agents of change when it comes to sustainable development. That’s why every entrepreneur who receives a business loan from us is invited to engage in a sustainability journey with their company.
What is sustainable development?
Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.*
Sustainable development is not only about environmental issues. Social and economic dimensions are also part of the equation.
To improve your practices, keep in mind that sustainable development depends on the balance between three pillars:
Environmental
(such as natural resource management and waste reduction)
Social
(such as employee well-being and contributing to the community)
Economic
(such as long-term profitability and the creation of quality jobs).
Your business and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
We decided to direct our efforts and those of the entrepreneurs we finance toward the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Why? Because the SDGs adopted in 2015 are designed to respond to global challenges such as poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
As an entrepreneur, you can play an important role in achieving these goals, for several reasons:
Innovation
Entrepreneurs are often at the forefront of innovation, developing products and services that can help achieve the SDGs, for example by creating clean technology or solutions to improve access to education.
Jobs creation
Businesses generate jobs, thereby contributing to poverty reduction (SDG 1) and economic growth (SDG 8).
Social responsibility
More and more entrepreneurs are integrating sustainable practices to their business models, supporting environmental sustainability (SDG 12) and fostering decent working conditions (SDG 8).
Partnerships
Entrepreneurs can establish partnerships with other businesses, non-profit organizations and governments to reinforce the impact of their sustainable development initiatives.
Awareness and mobilization
By integrating SDGs to their strategy, entrepreneurs can make their clients aware and mobilize other economic actors around sustainable development issues.
By leveraging your creativity and drive, you can help promote inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic development. We believe that entrepreneurship has the power to drive meaningful change in our economy.
Personalized support
Entrepreneurs who receive a business loan from us receive personalized support as they embark on their sustainability journey.