How understanding sustainability numbers can drive business outcomes

Nick Rowley, CEO, Oceans Forests Foundation

Modern businesses are accustomed to discussing and reporting upon their sustainability performance. This has helped bring environmental responsibility to the forefront of commercial operations. But, despite this renewed focus many business are still willing to make statements and claims which are not supported by rigorous activity supported by numbers.

Nick Rowley from the Oceans Forests Foundation, who used to advise on climate and sustainability at Downing Street and has more than twenty years’ experience of working with global businesses, not for profits and governments on sustainable practice, believes that only when a business truly understands the numbers and the metrics of its environmental performance should they publicise it.

Thinking like this is close to the heart of Nespresso Professional, which supports farmers, distributers, recyclers and customers in order to optimise product quality, environmental impact and lifecycle. Only through doing this can Nespresso prove and maintain its position of sustainability leadership. This level of rigour and transparency is strengthened through partnerships and initiatives such as the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program and its national recycling program for aluminium capsules, enabling aluminium and coffee to ‘live’ a second life.

From the perspective of workplace culture, this data is also invaluable in informing and engaging staff on Nespresso’s wider activity and purpose. Staff can both understand the effect of their collective contributions while also unearthing areas for improvement.