The document outlines 10 strategies for businesses to become more ethical and sustainable while maintaining profitability. These strategies include aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, defining a moral purpose, and embracing a circular economy. The overall emphasis is on fostering positive societal and environmental impacts through conscious consumerism and collaboration.

1. 10 WAYS TO
BECOME A MORE
ETHICAL AND
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
Sarah Duncan,
Author of The Ethical Business Book

2. We may be overwhelmed with all things
Covid at the moment, but the other
looming issues are not going away – we
need to find ways to heal the short-
term business pain and guard against
the longer-term challenges.
Here are 10 reminders of ways
businesses can help protect society and
the environment, whilst still working to
preserve a healthy bottom line.

3. one: VIEW THE BIGGER PICTURE
• A good place to start is the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, adopted by United
Nations Member States in 2015. At its heart are the
17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

4. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in
2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into
the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call
for action by all countries - developed and developing. They recognize that ending poverty and
other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education,
reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to
preserve our oceans and forests.

5. ACTION: Review the SDGs and take inspiration in
terms of areas your business can make a difference.
If they feel a little overwhelming, check out The Good
Life Goals which provide a more accessible
interpretation that can help be applied by anyone.

6. WORLD
BUSINESS
COUNCIL FOR
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
- GOOD LIFE
GOALS

7. two: CONSIDER YOUR COMPANY’S
MORAL PURPOSE
• There is much talk about purpose in business these
days, but what does it mean?
• In short, your moral purpose should be greater than
the products you make or the services you provide.
• 81% of millennials think a successful business needs to
have a genuine purpose that resonates with people
(beyond simply making money).

8. Establishing a Moral Purpose

9. ACTION: Think about how your business can have a
more positive impact on the world.
What problems or needs in the world are you capable
of solving, whilst still operating a successful business?

10. three: COMMIT TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL,
SOCIAL + ECONOMIC BUSINESS MODEL
• As originally outlined by John Elkington in his Triple
Bottom Line business model, sustainable businesses
need to measure success not only from Profit, but
through achievements that protect People and the
Planet.
• Financial reporting has internationally recognized
frameworks. Non-financial reporting is less established
and therefore less clearly and consistently measured.

11. ACTION: A good starting point is to re-imagine what
business success looks like for your organization -
establishing tangible initiatives and measurement
criteria for Serving Society and Preserving the
Environment, that sit equally in terms of importance
alongside the monthly financial report.

12. four: UNDERSTAND YOUR
CARBON FOOTPRINT
• Simply put, a carbon footprint is the amount of
carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a
result of your activities – directly and indirectly.

13. Reducing your
carbon footprint.
Carbon dioxide absorbs and
traps heat. The more
carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, the warmer
the planet.

14. ACTION: Understanding your environmental footprint
(including your supply chain) allows you to set in
place clear actions and goals to reduce this.
There are now many resources (including basic online
carbon calculators) and an array of specialists that can
help you achieve ‘net zero’.

15. five: ADOPT A MINDFUL
BUSINESS CULTURE
• Grand sustainability strategies work only when they
are fully understood, and everyone buys into them.
This requires a cultural business shift.

16. ACTION: Internal action should be encouraged,
driving sustainability from within. Green teams can be
established to champion Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
initiatives.
Education programmes can help effect long-term
behavioural change (both in the office and at home).

17. six: DEVELOP A CIRCULAR APPROACH
TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
• Innovation should be considered in a more
circular way. Moving away from the linear approach
to product development of Take-Make-Waste, to a
circular approach.

18. Circular (lake) Economy

19. ACTION: Consider how you can adopt a more circular
approach to your business and throughout your
supply chain.

20. seven: IDENTIFY YOUR
CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS
• Mindful consumerism is on the rise. If your company is falling
short on ethical and sustainable behaviour, you could be
losing (or set to loose) valuable custom.
• Customers may appear loyal right now because your product
is good quality, competitively priced and convenient for them
to obtain – so they keep buying it. But with dubious ethical
credentials and a lack of clearly defined purpose, they may be
becoming increasingly conflicted or compromised (even
building resentment with each purchase). As soon as
someone else enters the market displaying better and greener
business practices, it will be an easy switch.

21. “Every pound spent is a vote for how
we want to live.”
Mary Portas

22. ACTION: Find out what ethical issues are important to
your customers and fuel these passions.

23. eight: BEWARE OF GREENWASHING
• Marketing exists to persuade customers to buy
products. But conscious consumers are on the
lookout for false or embellished ethical marketing
claims, so they will be exposed.

24. Greenwashing

25. ACTION: It’s important to always: Check the facts; Clarify
the details; and Challenge like a customer.
Establish not only if legally you are able to make a
particular marketing claim, but also morally whether it is
wise to do so (are you overstating; missing out an
important component; or glossing over something in order
to mislead people?).

27. nine: PAY IT FORWARD
• Who in the world would most benefit from your
products or services, but cannot currently afford
them? Is it time to give some of your goods or services
away for free for the benefit of society?
• There are many businesses now adopting a pay it
forward principle – designing a business model that
can use healthy sales from regularly customers to
support free products or expertise for those less
fortunate.

28. ACTION: Consider rethinking the old Buy One Get
One Free marketing ploy, to Buy One GIVE One Free –
helping society and engendering a sense of good will
and purpose with your customers.

29. BOGOF Reinvented
Buy One, GIVE One Free

30. ten: ATTRACT GOOD COMPANY
• Good business attracts good company (and
strengthens ethical and sustainable supply chains
and partnerships).
• No one business can do it all alone, it needs healthy
collaboration with like-minded organisations.

31. ACTION: Seek out like-minded companies, business
organisations, ethical industry specialists, and trade
bodies. Forget the old secrecy and competitiveness,
embrace collaboration to champion change.

32. MORE FROM SLEEPING LION / EXPERT ADVICE:
Ethicalbusinessblog.com / Sleepingliononline.com / Expertadviceonline.com