WRITTEN BY:
Jonathan Jones,
Founder and CEO,
Green Ibex.
This summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in France have been billed as ‘the greenest ever’, with sustainability placed firmly at the heart of the events.
Organisers of Paris 2024 have promised to harness green energy, to utilise recycling and recycled materials and to make better use of mass public transportation in an effort to cut carbon emissions by 50 per cent compared to the average of the London and Rio games.
Witnessed by a worldwide audience of more than three billion, the games could be a global showcase of the art of the possible when it comes to sustainability.
This will hopefully motivate many other orgasnisations to follow suit and put themselves firmly on the starting blocks of their own sprint to a greener and more sustainable future.
After all, if the world’s largest sporting event can set such ambitious green targets, what’s to stop any other business from doing so?
Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword or a tick-box exercise for businesses that want to be seen to be doing the right thing.
Having a credible and deliverable sustainability strategy is now a critical factor for every organisation, an essential component of any successful business plan, and the key to ensuring consumer and investor confidence.
And, as with every athlete competing at the Olympic Games, an effective coach is the key to success.
Strong, inspirational leadership is vital in ensuring a successful transition for every organisation – it’s about identifying opportunities and having the confidence to take risks to become more competitive and lead on the race to net zero.
All this applies to a small business just as much as it does a major sporting event – organisations of all sizes know they must take their green credentials seriously if they are to succeed in a growingly competitive marketplace.
Generations of athletes have been inspired to take up sport and to go for gold by the achievements of the Olympians they have watched competing at the Olympic Games.
I hope that the Paris Olympics provides a similar inspiration for businesses in terms of sustainability, and that rather than going for gold, it’s green that they are aiming for.
Jonathan Jones is the Founder and CEO of Green Ibex, which works with organisations to help them deliver their sustainability goals and net zero targets.
