Over the past decade, sustainability has grown in prominence among all companies and industries, particularly the global mobility sector. In fact, eighty percent of the world’s top companies report on sustainability. It’s a topic being discussed in board rooms around the world, in the minds of consumers when deciding between products and even in the choices of investors.  

Why Is Sustainability Important to Global Mobility?

Every industry impacts the natural environment in some way, and global mobility is no exception. The supply chain needed to move people and goods around the world takes considerable effort and resources, particularly concerning the actual transportation from one destination to another. Those organizations working around the globe have tremendous potential to make meaningful changes in how their operations and people impact the environment. 

What Does Sustainability Mean to Businesses?

How companies define sustainability may vary from one to another. Some take a narrower view, focusing exclusively on environmental efforts such as recycling and energy usage. Others broaden it to include socially conscious initiatives like Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI), corporate giving and employee wellness. Often, this more inclusive definition is referred to as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). One recent study of senior executives found that 78% believe strong ESG priorities directly support their company’s financial performance. 

What a Sustainable Business?

Long gone are the days where sustainability only mattered to a small percentage of the population. Consumers, investors, and workers all are becoming more eco-minded in their thoughts and actions. 

Almost seven out of 10 consumers believe it’s important that a business is sustainable.  From 2019 to 2020, the total amount of money invested in sustainable stocks and mutual funds doubled. A recent PwC study found some correlation between working from home and being sustainably minded. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed who work from home identified as eco-friendly, compared to 48% who also identified as eco-friendly, but work in an office. Gen Z and millennial workers are increasingly more likely to accept less pay to work for an organization with a strong commitment to sustainability. 

Furthering Sustainable Business Practices

However an organization pursues its sustainability efforts, it must be done with authenticity and transparency. Many companies have notoriously tried to make products, services and corporate actions appear sustainable, when in reality, they did little to improve the environment, a tactic called greenwashing. 

Instead, it’s important that organizations look at their operations and assess what areas have the biggest opportunity for ESG improvement. Companies should use this assessment to develop sustainability goals that are clearly defined and measurable, having a genuine connection to their work. Beyond business sustainability goals, it’s also necessary for organizations to make this part of their overall culture. If a company isn’t living out its sustainability ideals throughout the organization, the formal goals it sets will fall flat, even if achieved. 

Business sustainability is essential for those in the global mobility space to address. When it comes to global mobility sustainability, it is all about making smarter choices at every level: individual, team, company, partners, and industry. 

At Hilldrup, there is a concerted effort to integrate sustainability into every initiative. As one of the largest United Van Lines agents, we understand that Hilldrup can lead our industry in what it means to be an environmentally friendly moving, storage and logistics company. Learn more about our sustainability efforts.

Hilldrup’s association with FIDI also has allowed us to adopt some of the sustainability efforts outlined in this recent webinar on sustainable relocation.

John Warlick Author