For too long a mere bolt-on for businesses chasing the ethical pound, sustainability may finally be entering the business mainstream as 'generation sustainable' makes its way into the boardroom.
'The Sustainable Generation: The Sky Future Leaders Study' examined for the first time the attitudes and ambitions towards sustainability of 750 corporate graduate trainees, high potential middle-managers and MBA students.
It found high hopes and major shifts. A full 70% of future business leaders believe that sustainability can create new opportunities for business, and - perhaps even more significantly - it discovered 66% of respondents believed business should be sustainable whatever the economic conditions.
Respondents were also highly specific about the changes they believed are needed to achieve these goals, detailing the five key measures they believe are essential.
First, increased employee engagement was considered not just a good in its own right, but as crucial in harnessing workforce creativity, while Future Leaders wanted to see far greater collaboration across all industry sectors to secure best practice. Using new technology to improve business performance on sustainability has long been considered a must by all thinkers in this field and our leaders were no exception, but it was the active desire to take more responsibility for ethical sourcing and supply train credentials that was new in its intensity.
But perhaps the greatest business cultural shift will be realised when point five in their 'manifesto' comes to fruition: the Future Business Leaders of this country wanted a complete integration of sustainability into all their business values and decisions.
As if to underline their seriousness, they also sent a clear message to HR directors about the importance of sustainability credentials to their own career plans. Thirty-four per cent of respondents considered creating social and environmental value as an overall career goal, just one percentage point behind those in it primarily for the money.
But there were also deep concerns that sustainability is still not being fully integrated into the way businesses operate. While 78% of Future Leaders believe that UK businesses are making a genuine effort to become sustainable, just 3% believe they are fully succeeding.
And there was also marked scepticism about those businesses climbing on the green bandwagon. Only a quarter (27%) of our future business leaders believe businesses talk green because they believe the message.
Jeremy Darroch, Sky Chief Executive, launched the study and said: 'The report contains important lessons about the expectations that future leaders will have of the companies where they choose to work. All businesses have a strong incentive to provide better training, to tap into the ideas and creativity of their people and to ensure their actions on sustainability live up to their words.
'While sustainability has become part of everyday business language, little has been known until now about the views of future leaders. This study shows that tomorrow's business leaders are already engaged with sustainability and see it as an important part of their future careers. In their own words, this is 'the sustainable generation' and there is much we can all learn from them.
'Much of today's report will resonate with businesses which have already recognised the opportunity that sustainability can bring.'
Make Way for Generation Sustainable: Future Business Leaders Speak
