What does sustainability mean at vipur?
We all realise that sustainability is becoming more and more of an issue. Hardly a day goes by without coming into contact with it or being reminded that sustainability is not just a trend, but also a necessity. This fact also applies to small and medium-sized companies, which are often considered the backbone of the economy.
But how easy is it to change your own thinking and actions in such a way that you can actually see and measure efficient economic, ecological and social success in the years to come? This question is increasingly taking centre stage for us, because we are convinced of it:
Sustainability concerns us all!
There are already many processes and habits that we have changed in some areas of our lives, giving us the feeling that we are acting in a more environmentally friendly and socially responsible way. However, these steps are still far from sufficient to see long-term results worldwide and make them tangible for everyone.
This raises an important question::
What can I do as an entrepreneur to ensure that sustainability is not just a charming façade on the outside?
One thing is certain for us at vipur:
Sustainability must be firmly anchored in our consciousness.
Ever since we first started thinking about the vipur website more than a year ago, it was obvious to us that sustainability should become a central and lived topic at vipur. Some important points had already been implemented at this time, with a particular focus on the social working environment in the office - such as ergonomic workstations for all our employees, bright green office spaces, everyone is welcome in the office with their bike and much more.
But our implementation and ideas continue, as there are still many opportunities that we want to utilise and realise, such as:
- Specifying ecological and social factors against which we want to measure ourselves year after year in this area is our goal.
- Regularly exchanging information with companies from our network on how they establish sustainability in their daily processes.
All of this from the perspective of European and International Requirements, which will become more and more specific in the coming years.
Sustainability needs structure and positive motivation.
The WKO's (Austrian Economic Chambers) Sustainability Week came at the perfect time for us to bring structure into our vipur sustainability thinking. Taking part in various events followed by networking last week was very intensive for us and a complete success in every respect.
One important sentence that we were able to take away with us in terms of the pace of sustainability implementation is the following tip from the WKO - ‘less is more’! After all, it is important not to lose sight of the big picture and therefore not to lose motivation for this absolutely vital topic. After all, the series of lectures organised by the Vienna Chamber of Commerce has shown us that there is still a great deal to be done in terms of local and/or European legislation for SMEs.
We will all have to invest a lot of time and money in order to fulfil our personal requirements, the legal requirements and ultimately the requirements of our customers. But that shouldn't put us off - we have to see it as an opportunity to achieve economic, ecological and social goals in a more defined way.
At the moment, we are all still in a development process and sharing our experiences and insights is important. We are therefore very happy to pass on additional thoughts and tips that we have received from the WKO:
- Approach the topic - the earlier the better
- Raise awareness of the need for sustainable behaviour throughout the company.
- Work on this patiently and constantly to the best of your knowledge and belief.
- Recognise and implement the benefits of the data collected and accept this challenge as an opportunity for your own company.
- Obtain professional support if required
Our wish from vipur
At some point, sustainability will be an integral part of every company, and we will no longer even think about how we need to align our strategies and measures to ensure that our goals are sustainable. Sustainability is an investment in the future that can help SMEs compete and grow successfully in an increasingly environmentally conscious market.
May we all move forward on the path of sustainability.
See you next time.
Have a nice day,
the vipur team and Wolfgang Steindl-Kratochvil
