Carmel McQuaid, Climate Change Manager, Marks and Spencer - Big ambitions are required to deliver a step change

As a general rule I hate clichés and overused phrases. I also try to avoid the afternoon session at conference programmes. However at ‘Sustainability 2010’ in Norwich, I managed to break both of these rules with a 13:00 slot on ‘Our Journey to Sustainability’!

The term ‘journey to sustainability’ aptly conveys the very different type of challenges organisations face in implementing sustainability for business advantage.

So to compensate, I needed a bit of audience interaction. ‘How did you get here today?’ was the question I posed to the floor. Responses fell into three broad categories.

For some the journey to the venue was similar to their normal commute, merging into the everyday routine which has become second nature.

For others in this period of volcanic ash and air strikes the journey was more like an expedition. They knew where they needed to be but were uncertain about the exact route, mode of travel and estimated time of arrival.

The third set of responses considered their personal journey determined by pivotal points and experiences in their individual career.

For me, this summed up why the term ‘journey to sustainability’ is so widely used - it just works too well. This one phrase aptly conveys the very different type of challenges organisations face in implementing sustainability for business advantage:

• Making sustainability part of everyday life routine and ‘how you do business’  
• Setting bold targets and transforming the business  - without necessarily knowing how you’ll get there
• Changing mindsets and behaviours – taking people with you along the cycle of change

We’ve found that addressing all of these three dimensions is critical to delivering business benefits of Plan A in M&S. We’re on the way to becoming a sustainable business but we still have a long way to go to meet our ambition of being the most sustainable retailer in the world by 2015.

Three years in, it hasn’t always been easy and we’ve made some mistakes. However we’ve also learned a lot. Continuing with the cliché of a journey, we’d offer the following guidelines.

• Big ambitions are required to deliver step change – if we hadn’t set such ambitious targets for packaging reduction we would probably have only achieved incremental change
• Keep an eye on end destination but ensure you are only half a step ahead of those you are leading – if you run off too quickly you’ll lose your customers and your colleagues
• Some obstacles do need to be overcome – but some you can go round. Pick your battles carefully considering the impact on your business and your ability to influence. Remember the terrain will continue to change so take time out to scan the horizon regularly!
• Actively seek out oasis points along the way, taking the opportunity to celebrate success, regroup and build motivation for the next push.
• Any expedition will probably need priming at the start but ultimately needs to become self sufficient. When we started with Plan A, we thought it would require an investment of £200m over five years. In fact, Plan A has actually contributed £50m to our business this year
• Real time statistics checks along the way provide motivation for all. One of the most important things we’ve learned is the importance of real time information e.g. energy usage in stores linked to store manager objectives
• Get someone else to show you the way – Climate change poses a different challenge to most other issues. Urgent action is essential – this means we simply don’t have the luxury of all independently figuring out solutions. 
• We’ve found The Prince’s Mayday Network, the largest collaboration of businesses in the UK committed to tackling climate change, an invaluable help along the way. I still remember at one particular Mayday Event, we watched a case study of a supplier of T5 Lighting Tube converters. By midday we had organised a trial in one of our stores and within months we had sufficient evidence for a wider rollout in our business with significant energy and cost savings. This is exactly the sort of practical support business really needs to accelerate action on climate change and gain business benefits.

Marks and Spencer are proud supporters of the Mayday Network and we encourage our suppliers to join what is a valuable and free resource. Regardless of what stage you’re at in the sustainability journey – either starting out or looking to move to the next level, being part of the Mayday Network will help you get there quicker.