John Edelman of marketing consultancy Edelman says the voluntary standard will help firms to maximise their environmental and social impact

Sustainability differs sector by sector, often requiring companies to self-tailor sustainability recommendations to account for an industry’s specific needs. Until just recently, the professional services industry was no exception. Now, professional service firms can set themselves apart from their competition by achieving certification for their sustainability performance.

This past October, I was a speaker at the Washington DC launch event for the first sustainability standard for the professional services industry. The standard took five years to develop and during that time, I served as a member of the joint committee developing it. The performance-based standard was facilitated by NSF International according to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard development process. NSF/ANSI 391.1: General Sustainability Assessment Criteria for Professional Services provides a blueprint that the broad professional services sector can leverage to address industry-specific environmental, social, economic and sustainable supply chain issues under the sustainability umbrella.

The standard, which is voluntary, is significant for several reasons, one being that the professional services sector contributes approximately $2.10trn to the US economy annually, making up nearly a 12% share of gross domestic product.

Using a points- and results-based system, the new standard measures environmental, social, economic and supply chain efforts on an equal plane

Edelman Intelligence, a market research team, completes an annual survey that has become the most accepted state of trust and distrust worldwide, and as the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer highlights, 73% of respondents believe a company can take specific actions that both increase profits and improve the economic and social conditions in the community where it operates. NSF/ANSI 391.1 provides a way forward for professional services firms to do just that.

Similar to how other industry sectors, such as Responsible Business Alliance, The Sustainability Consortium, Sustainable Apparel Coalition and The Consumer Goods Forum have organised themselves for collective impact, professional services companies can now address sustainability through a unique lens that has been tailored to the areas where they may have the greatest impact.

Using a points- and results-based system, the new standard measures environmental, social, economic and supply chain efforts on an equal plane, requiring that companies achieve a base level of 50 points, with a minimum of 10 points in each of the four pillars. This is unique in that no other sustainability standard includes supply chain as its own pillar, or gives it as much weight as environmental, social and economic factors.

KPIs included in the professional services standard include health and wellbeing. (Credit: Khakimullin/Shutterstock)
 

Using a points- and results-based system, the new standard measures environmental, social, economic and supply chain efforts on an equal plane, requiring that companies achieve a base level of 50 points, with a minimum of 10 points in each of the four pillars. This is unique in that no other sustainability standard includes supply chain as its own pillar, or gives it as much weight as environmental, social and economic factors.

Further distinguishing the standard, the remaining 10 points needed to achieve certification must be attained from other key performance indicators (KPIs), many of which have not been included in sustainability standards previously. Such KPIs include supplier diversity, health and wellbeing, community involvement, and diversity and inclusion. A third-party auditor must certify that a professional services firm meets the standard.

NSF/ANSI 391.1 is the first standard to provide a roadmap that professional services organisations can leverage throughout their sustainability journeys. It is my hope that those within the professional services sector use this standard to guide their sustainability efforts moving forward. To get started, or for more information about the published ANSI standard, visit this link.

John Edelman is managing director of global engagement and corporate responsibility at public relations and marketing consultancy Edelman.

Main picture credit: create jobs 51

 
Edelman trust barometer  sustainability reporting  ANSI  NST International 

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