Sustainability As A Core HR Discipline

By Peter Graf, Chief Sustainability Officer, SAP and Anke Doerzapf, Marketing Manager at SuccessFactors, an SAP company
Jan 13, 2014 3:25 PM ET

Original content by Peter Graf and Anke Doerzapf on Forbes

Nowadays, sustainability is deeply related to business strategy and creating value, especially in the economic, social and environmental aspects that ensure mid- and long-term success. That’s quite a contrast to the much more short-term focus of corporate activities. Other than in discussions about the environmental impact of a company’s operations and supply chain (which differ vastly between industries), people play the vital role in a company’s mid- and long-term success — no matter the industry. And that is why HR can’t stand at the sidelines while the CEO, the management team, communications, legal and many other teams are more engaged.Haven’t hugged a tree lately, dear HR leader? Well, you’re not alone. According to the “State of Sustainable Business Survey 2013” by BSR, HR is among the least engaged corporate functions when it comes to sustainability. This is surprising because sustainable success has evolved from environmental concerns to a comprehensive strategic challenge.

Even more importantly, there are external factors that force HR organizations to ensure a company drives a sustainable strategy, specifically when it comes to employees:

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Original source Forbes.