What's really important though is sustainability. That's the crux of the matter. Who wouldn't want to be sustainable?

Of course every organization does–or should–want to be sustainable. To put it succinctly, sustainability is a hallmark of continued success. But we're not just talking about financial success here: we're talking about the continuity of a business that grows by effectively managing natural resources and the environment as well as its own inputs and consumption, by protecting the interests of its customers and by upholding its values.

How do you achieve sustainability? We can't do it just be dropping words like "green" and "sustainable" into what we say or by joining various initiatives or conducting social responsibility projects concerning such matters. That's just "window-dressing". "The sooner to figure out your corporate carbon footprint and the better you are at managing its consequences, the better you will be at managing your sustainability strategy."

Why "carbon"? It's because it's the newest goal in sight among the world's developed countries. Every sector that wants to stay in the corporate race and every organization that wants to put its brand and itself in a better, more conscionable position has to tell what they're doing about carbon. Your new car comes with a statement saying how much its CO₂ emissions have been reduced by. Your new shoes tell you about the carbon emissions that were released during their manufacture. Even packages of biscuits come with carbon emission statements. And consumers are starting to prefer companies and products that care about such matters.

But how does such caring benefit a company? What sort of message does such caring send?

• I'm aware of climate change as an issue and have integrated it into my corporate strategy.
• My senior management thinks this is important.
• I measure my impact and reduce it. I'm sensitive about this issue.
• I don't employ child labor. I'm careful about occupational health and safety.
• I share the results of the "material sustainability reports" that I prepare with all my stakeholders: in other words, I'm accountable.
• I give importance to the opinions of consumers and other stakeholders and take them into account.
• I make an effort to use less energy, to release fewer emissions, to pollute the environment less.
• And I do all of this voluntarily because "I'm different than my competitors and I'm aware of my impact."