The Netherlands: Carbon Experts - Holland Financial Center

and flexibility for an unpredictable future and build capacity toanticipate and adapt.First and foremost, businesses need to fully assess andunderstand future sustainability risks, for example byintegrating them into an Enterprise Risk Managementtool, define their responses to deal with them, and analyseopportunities for effi ciency, substitution or adaptation.Integrated strategic planning and strategy development areneeded as well, which requires business management to makesustainability central to their corporate strategy and incorporateit at all levels. Put simply, businesses must manage risks andcapitalise on opportunities, by turning strategic plans andstrategies into ambitious targets and actions. One can thinkof energy and resource effi ciency improvements, sustainablesupply chain management, investment into innovation onsustainable products and services, as well as gaining access tonew markets for greener products, services and technologies.It is also imperative to explore tax incentives tailored toalternative energy, energy effi ciency and other areas relatedto sustainability.Another much discussed but less implemented tool to successin this area is measuring performance and reporting onsustainability, as well as the related benefi ts. The growingtrend of integrated reporting is an example where companiesare building frameworks for sustainability reporting processes,stronger information systems and appropriate governanceand control mechanisms on a par with those currently usedin financial reporting.Organizations can’t do this alone. Collaboration with partnerson sustainability issues is vital to enhance leverage and improvecost-benefi t ratio of action. Business leaders should seekopportunities for genuine dialogue with governments anddemonstrate new and innovative approaches to public-privatepartnerships. Improved dialogue could focus on economicinstruments and market barriers that could be reduced to makesustainable business operation easier. Good management usedto be about preparing for the expected, now it is just as muchabout preparing for the unexpected.20