Develop your strategy and gain executive buy-in

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Step 1:

Develop your strategy and gain executive buy-in

Bridge the gap between sustainability and your business outcomes

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While all industries operate differently, sustainability can play a role in every type of business — from tech companies to transportation firms, food processing plants to manufacturers.

Start by understanding what parts of your business need to be greener. Then, build your strategy around this. When it’s time to present the strategy to your executives, demonstrate a clear “why” — whether it’s to boost reputation, attract talent, or appeal to your target market — in addition to being a responsible global steward. Remember to tie your “why” to relevant operational success metrics.

Once you’re internally aligned, learn about the various options you have to create public accountability.

Explore the resources below to help you begin your journey.

Start building your strategy

Before approaching your leaders, it’s important to develop a deeper understanding of what goes into a strong sustainability program and establish a plan of action that aligns with your organization’s operations.

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1.5°C Business Playbook

Discover the four climate pillars in this playbook from Exponential Roadmap — and how companies are applying them to reduce their emissions.
Climate Fit

Find guidance to help you take action toward your sustainability goals with these free courses for small- and medium-sized enterprises from SME Climate Hub.
The 4 A's of Climate Leadership

Access best-in-class resources from the We Mean Business Coalition to help your company respond to the climate crisis with ambition, action, advocacy, and accountability
Project Drawdown

Dig into a robust library of resources curated by Project Drawdown and broken down by sector and projected impact.
6 Steps to Develop a Robust Climate Strategy

Explore an easy-to-digest roadmap from GreenBiz that offers a 6-step approach to building your strategy.
10 Principles for an Ambitious Climate Strategy

Read about 10 principles from Carbone 4 that your company can implement to ensure its climate strategy is rigorous.
Navigating Environmental Sustainability

Identify the strategies that will work best for your company and learn how to leverage your existing strengths with this LinkedIn Learning course.
Corporate Sustainability Strategy

Gain an overview of corporate sustainability and feel equipped to define and implement a strong strategy at your organization with this three-module course from Harvard Business Publishing.

Build your business case

Now that you understand what a winning strategy looks like, learn how to communicate the “why” behind it to the leaders of your organization. Their buy-in will be foundational to operationalizing your strategy.

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The CEO Guide to Climate Advantage

Help your leaders understand the benefits of seizing the net-zero opportunity with this 2022 report from World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group.
5 Ways to Engage Your Leadership on Sustainability

Explore tactics for engaging and supporting your senior leaders in aligning business strategy with sustainability goals.
How to Talk to Your CFO About Sustainability

Use this methodology outlined in the Harvard Business Review to highlight the potential return on investment that sustainability initiatives could bring to your company.
Building Credible Climate Commitments

Gain insight into the importance of making credible climate pledges with this article from Deloitte that uses language your leaders will understand.
Global Green Skills Report

Impress your leaders with quantitative insights from LinkedIn about how various industries are greening.
State of Green Business 2023 Report

Understand the current state of green jobs and business trends with this report from GreenBiz.
Introduction to ESG

Find out why an increasing number of corporations are addressing the environmental aspects of their businesses by taking this LinkedIn Learning course.
Sustainability as an Innovation Opportunity

Discover why sustainability offers a unique opportunity for businesses to innovate and grow with this LinkedIn Learning course.
Closing the Green Skills Gap

Learn how to prepare your workforce for the green economy — and why it matters — with this LinkedIn Learning course.

Create accountability

Once you align with your executives, demonstrate your commitment to meaningful change by keeping your organization accountable, transparent, and authentic to its goals.

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How to Set a Science-Based Target

Develop ambitious yet attainable targets for your company with this process outlined by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The Climate Pledge

Pledge to report progress, implement decarbonization strategies, and neutralize remaining emissions.
Race To Zero Campaign

Join the United Nations’ coalition to build momentum around the shift to a decarbonized economy.
Green Washing

Read case studies of companies that have overpromised and underdelivered on “greenness,” and understand the harm that can come from inauthentic and untrue claims, with this paper from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Want to Avoid Greenwashing? Be Clear About What It Means

Ensure that your company is not greenwashing — especially when speaking about your sustainability strategy publicly — by familiarizing yourself with this definition provided by GreenBiz.
1 Trillion Trees Pledge

Add transparency and accountability to any reforestation pledges that your organization has made by submitting them to 1t.org’s pledge tracker.
Planet Mark Business Certification

Make a commitment and communicate progress in a credible, authentic, and transparent way.

Progress checklist

After reviewing the resources in Step 1, you should feel prepared and empowered to:

Develop a sustainability strategy that integrates with your business operations

Align with your executives on why this strategy is important for your organization

Stay accountable to your organization’s strategy by joining a climate pledge

Share your organization’s pledges publicly on your website and LinkedIn Page (more on this below)

Already checked these items off your to-do list? You’re ready to move on to Step 2.

Demonstrate your commitment to sustainability

After you’ve made a public commitment to sustainability, add featured commitments to your LinkedIn Company Page and provide evidence that you’ve put plans in motion to achieve your goals.

Learn more about Company Commitments
Discover best practices

Get inspired by your peers

UPS' story

UPS has publicly committed to achieving carbon neutrality across its global operations by 2050. The company leverages data to prove the ROI of sustainability decisions and achieve executive buy-in.

“The reduction in energy and fuel usage was the driver for a strong financial ROI, but other benefits such as reduced noise in the communities we operate in, reduced exposure to volatile oil markets, greater reliability of our aircraft and vehicle fleet, and strengthening our brand as an innovative supplier all played a role in the business case for sustainability."

- Patrick Browne, Vice President, Sustainability, UPS

Help us grow the Sustainability Resource Hub

Has your team created or benefited from a resource that helped you get started on your organization’s sustainability journey? Share your resource recommendations with us at sustainability@linkedin.com.

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