Businesses play a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability.
Adopting sustainable practices not only contributes to protecting the environment, but also leads to economic and reputational benefits for businesses.
However, companies committed to promoting environmental sustainability must not only take into account energy efficiency, waste management and emissions reduction, but also the well-being of their employees and social responsibility!
Corporate Welfare comes into play for a sustainable approach.
Let's see together how and why corporate welfare is closely linked to sustainable development and therefore useful for achieving many of the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030 .
Corporate welfare and Agenda 2030 objectives of the United Nations Organization
First of all: what is the UN Agenda 2030?
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a global action plan adopted by the United Nations in 2015, with the aim of promoting economic prosperity, social justice and environmental protection worldwide by the year 2030.
It is based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are divided into 169 specific goals.
The 17 SDGs include:
- defeat poverty .
- Defeat hunger .
- Ensuring health and well-being for everyone and all ages.
- Provide quality, equitable and inclusive education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- Achieving gender equality .
- Guarantee the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation facilities for all .
- Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy systems for all.
- Promote long-lasting, inclusive and sustainable economic growth , full employment and decent work for all.
- Build a resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and support innovation.
- Reduce inequality within and between nations.
- Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, durable and sustainable.
- Guarantee sustainable production and consumption models .
- Promote actions, at all levels, to combat climate change.
- Conserve and sustainably use the oceans , seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
- Protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of the Earth's ecosystem .
- Promote peaceful and inclusive societies , provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
- Strengthen the means of implementation and relaunch the global partnership for sustainable development .
The 2030 Agenda therefore represents a joint commitment of all UN member countries to face global challenges and guarantee a globally sustainable future.
Specifically, Corporate Welfare finds space for action with regards to OSS n.3, dedicated to health and well-being , OSS n.8, for decent work , OSS n.9, in reference to ' business innovation , and SDG No. 5, which supports gender equality .
Corporate Welfare & Environmental Sustainability
Welfare and sustainability are two interconnected concepts which, if effectively integrated, can lead to significant benefits for companies, employees and society as a whole.
Combining Corporate Welfare and sustainability, to create a more inclusive and responsible working environment , includes:
● benefits for health and well-being
Promote inclusivity and gender equality and offer wellness programs that promote employees' physical and mental health, such as gym memberships, yoga classes, psychological counseling and medical check-ups.
● Sustainable mobility
Incentivize the use of sustainable means of transport, such as bicycles, carpooling, electric cars and public transport, perhaps by offering reimbursements for the purchase of public transport passes or discounts for the purchase of electric bicycles.
Implement policies that support a healthy work-life balance, such as telecommuting, flexible schedules, extended parental leave, and paid time off to care for family members.
( Cultural welfare to enhance free time )
● Training and awareness , through sustainability education and active employee involvement.
● work spaces and green buildings , thanks also to a continuous process of research and innovation.
Design offices with sustainable materials, low-energy lighting systems and waste reduction solutions, and/or buildings certified for sustainability, such as those with LEED ( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) certification.
● Social responsibility and integration with the community
● Incentives and recognition programs
● Responsible Supply Policies ( sustainable supply chain )
By integrating welfare and sustainability, companies can therefore create a healthier and more responsible working environment and improve employee satisfaction and involvement, with obvious advantages.
Among these, we certainly find the qualitative and quantitative increase in the work carried out and a positive impact on society and ecology.
Furthermore, corporate welfare is a fundamental element for implementing a real Green Marketing project (very different from the sadly known greenwashing ).
Green Welfare and Environmental Welfare
It is with the term “Green Welfare” which today identifies the set of integrated welfare strategies - which we spoke about earlier - to promote the well-being of employees in a sustainable way, contributing positively to both the quality of working life and the protection of the environment.
Environmental Welfare" also shares the same concept , adding the integration of ecological initiatives in the workplace and social spheres.
The objective - in this case - is to create a balance between economic development, people's well-being and environmental protection, including concepts such as the circular economy, social responsibility, inclusiveness and protection of the ecosystem.
Corporate welfare and ISO certifications
Corporate Welfare and ISO certifications are also two aspects that can be effectively integrated to improve the well-being of employees and the sustainability of corporate practices, promoting Corporate Wellbeing.
ISO certifications provide international standards that companies can follow to guarantee quality, efficiency and sustainability in their processes.
As regards the relationship between corporate welfare and sustainability, the following must be taken into consideration:
● ISO 14001 * - Environmental management systems
● ISO 9001 * – Quality management systems , promoting a work environment geared towards continuous improvement (increasing employee satisfaction and providing opportunities for growth and professional training and development)
● ISO 26000 - Guide to corporate social responsibility.
● ISO 50001 - Energy management systems
Discover our concept of Corporate Welfare and rely on the experts, for an effective Welfare Experience in achieving your real economic, social, ethical, environmental and productive objectives.
*Eudaimon is a Certified B Corporation®️ and already holds these certifications.