Sustainability action plans don’t need to be complicated. In fact, the most effective plans are often the simplest, focused on achievable goals, practical actions, and meaningful engagement across the business. Whether you're just starting out or looking to improve what you already have in place, this guide walks through the core areas to consider and provides easy, actionable steps that any business can adopt.
Start with clear goals
Every good sustainability plan begins with a set of clear, achievable goals. Here are six common goal areas that most organisations can explore:
Reduce carbon emissions
Minimise waste
Promote renewable energy and reduce energy use
Improve natural resource management
Engage with your community
Ensure sustainability across your supply chain
Educate and empower employees
You don’t need to adopt all of these, choose those that align best with your organisation’s size, operations, and values.
Turning goals into action
Below is a breakdown of each goal area with practical actions businesses can take. Pick the ones that are realistic and achievable; even small steps can make a big difference.
1. Reduce carbon emissions
Start by measuring your emissions. This includes:
Scope 1: Direct emissions (e.g., fuel used in vehicles or generators)
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity or heat
Scope 3: Everything else, supply chain, business travel, employee commuting, digital footprint, waste, food, equipment, home working, etc.
Once you've measured your emissions, choose where to act. For example, if business travel is a major source, consider:
Rail over air
Virtual-first meeting policies
Minimising the number of employees travelling
Avoiding single-day international trips
Planning multiple client visits in one trip
Encouraging car sharing, EVs, and cycle-to-work schemes
Remote working or reduced office days
Switching fleet vehicles to electric
Installing EV charge points
Document the decisions you make and incorporate them into policy.
2. Minimise waste
Waste reduction is often one of the most visible and easiest areas to tackle. Actions might include:
Introducing a waste management policy
Removing under-desk bins and centralising recycling
Switching to digital signatures
Reducing printing
Repairing and recycling office furniture
Purchasing refurbished electronics
Donating unwanted equipment
Reducing food waste in meetings
Composting organic waste if you have outdoor space
Behavioural change is key.
3. Promote renewable energy & reduce energy use
Energy is one of the biggest costs for most businesses, so sustainable choices often save money too. Consider:
Switching to a renewable energy provider
Installing solar panels (if you own the building)
Installing heat pumps or exploring government grants
Turning heating/AC down by 1 degree
Using only LED lighting
Adding motion sensors
Choosing low-flow taps or touch-free systems
Harvesting rainwater
Encouraging natural light
Reminding employees to switch off lights and equipment
Share what you're doing with employees so they feel part of the journey, not instructed without context.
4. Improve natural resource management
Look at how your business uses resources like water, gas, electricity, and physical space. Ideas include:
Water-saving policies
Installing low-flow appliances
Improved insulation
Energy-efficient equipment
Boiling-water taps instead of repeated kettle boiling
Creating biodiversity areas on your premises
Planting wildflowers, adding beehives, or setting aside rewilding space
Even small adjustments can reduce environmental impact and create a healthier working environment.
5. Drive community engagement
Community is at the heart of sustainability. Businesses of any size can engage by:
Hosting workshops or local events
Partnering with schools or universities
Offering employee volunteer days
Collaborating with local charities
Sharing your sustainability journey openly
Running green challenges or idea-sharing competitions
Creating social media campaigns (avoiding greenwash)
Producing impact reports to summarise progress
Community engagement boosts reputation, employee morale, and customer trust.
6. Green your supply chain
Your supply chain often accounts for the largest share of your carbon footprint. To improve it:
Start conversations with suppliers about their sustainability practices
Review supplier sustainability statements and accreditations
Add sustainability scoring to your procurement or tendering process
Work collaboratively, many suppliers are on their own journey and welcome support
Favour local suppliers to reduce product miles
Help smaller suppliers measure their emissions
Set expectations clearly in contracts or tenders
A sustainable supply chain is built on transparency, collaboration, and shared goals.
7. Educate and empower employees
Employees play a huge role in the success of any sustainability initiative. Empower them by:
Offering training sessions and guest speakers
Running internal workshops or challenges
Creating videos or digital resources
Setting up a sustainability committee
Including sustainability in onboarding
Sharing regular updates and success stories
Offering rewards or recognition for contributions
Adding an anonymous suggestion box
Encouraging employees to measure their own carbon footprints
Empowered, informed people create lasting change.
Final thoughts
A sustainability action plan doesn’t need to be complex or time-consuming. Choose areas that matter to your business, take small but meaningful steps, and involve your team every step of the way. The most important thing is simply to start, momentum builds quickly once you do.
Ready to make your business more sustainable?
Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your strategy to the next level, we can help. From tailored consultancy to practical training, we work with businesses of all sizes to embed ESG into everything you do.
Get in touch with Sam Cande, Consultancy Director at 360 Consulting by Greengage, to explore how we can support your ESG goals.
Email: sam.cande@greengage.solutions
Book a quick meeting with Sam: https://calendly.com/sam-cande-greengage/30min