Applying long-term strategies for Sustainable change
Breaking down the Silos | Becoming advocates for Positive Change | Sustainability and the Built Environment
Most companies today want to make changes to their business to build a greater impact on the way they do business. Meraki Bespoke Wellness Strategies has years of experience in the luxury hospitality and wellness industry, our goal is to continue to be innovative and contribute in responsible ways that benefit the ecosystem and environment of the projects we work on. We believe in an approach that includes social and environmental well-being and works cohesively to ensure the entire project considers ways to bring value and long-term solutions to wellness and sustainability- to us this is a form of wellness and one that encourages our clients to ‘build better and smarter.
“Mutual funds and exchange-traded funds invested nearly $300 billion in sustainable assets globally in 2020, nearly double the previous year, according to BlackRock” (Sission, The New York Times, October 2021 | With the Rise of Climate Change Investors Seek Greener Buildings) The data tells us there is a demand for sustainable real estate developments making this the right time to evaluate the current value system throughout your organization. This means taking a longer-term strategy that focuses on financial capital and beyond this, bringing a new sense of value to social and environmental capital. This is not an easy task however with more collaborative engagement with industry experts you will gain access to solutions you may not have considered. Here are a few ways to consider making a start towards sustainability goals that affect the built environment built on the saying ‘what gets measured gets managed’ (Peter Drucker) Effective action starts like this:
1. Zoom in on your process
2. Zoom out and get collaborative- broaden your scale
3. Value, curiosity, and learning
A great example of this might look like this:
Starting with your internal stakeholders perform a SWOT analysis, and evaluate your current process, procedures, and resources/tools available to your colleagues. Here you will understand gaps and opportunities relevant to your internal stakeholders allowing you to attract and retain your greatest assets- people!
Based on those results, begin collaborating with industry experts adding value to what it is you are trying to achieve. This includes benchmarking against frameworks like the SDG goals, LEED standards, or technology experts and allowing you to strengthen your weak points while increasing your visibility and access to new projects.
Leverage the benefits of community engagement and the success this brings to new developments. Applying a systems approach including early engagement, strengthened communication, and qualitative feedback allows the community to be accountable for their environment helping it to thrive.
Deep dive into natural capital and/or environmental risks affecting your existing and future developments while finding solutions to mitigate these risks. This involves evaluating your manufactured resources and applying a strategy to repurpose your materials while assessing your procurement process to meet net-zero demands or at the very least sustainability.
When considering the commercial benefits, a longer-term strategy applies, I have highlighted some areas it will impact your business financially:
Align your business with a growth mindset reputation and ambassadors for change, this saves time and money getting ahead of the inevitable making you less reactive and more proactive
Enhancing your tools will increase your productivity saving time, money, and resources
Cultivating your company culture strengthens your talent pool and increases your retention rate
Measuring sustainability performance will result in future cost savings (emissions & decreased energy consumption) for you and our clients
Adopting a community-led strategy impacts people in a meaningful way that supports stronger social cohesion
Build a sense of place laying down roots for future generations while shaping resilient communities.
Consumers want to be aligned with a solution-orientated business of the future, not part of perpetuating the problem. If you maintain your current status, there is a risk of falling behind your competitors and spending excess time, money, and resources reactively.
We welcome the opportunity to build on some of the initial concepts that will help align your business as a positive advocate for social and environmental change.
Photo from Ibuku Design Studio- Bali
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