The Power of Sustainability and Strategy in Business Success
I’m privileged to be a member of the Class of 2018 (Liberty United) of Liberty Fellowship, a partner of the Aspen Institute and a part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. I keep up with the Institute’s Business and Society Program and what it says about the current business environment and our role as leaders. Recently Alicia Bonner, Assistant Director of that program, authored a blog that can be found on the Institute’s site and on LinkedIn titled, Embedding Sustainability in Strategy Can Deliver Value for the Long-Term.
In her blog post, Ms. Bonner makes what I consider a shrewd observation: “[w]hen senior leaders embed sustainability into corporate strategy and brand it for broader adoption, it strengthens the entire organization.” While Ms. Bonner was to some extent speaking of sustainability in the sense of things like carbon footprint reduction, I submit for your consideration that what she hits upon is an essential lesson we all ought to take to heart. A strategy that isn’t sustainable – one that doesn’t preserve the ability to maintain success, whether by an organizational culture that promotes innovation and collaboration, ensures financial performance, or any number of other approaches – probably isn’t much of a strategy at all.
In 2023, Santee Cooper established a corporate sustainability department. That is not to say the company didn’t give thought to sustainability prior to 2023. Far from it. Santee Cooper’s Sustainability Department was created to, among other things, develop a comprehensive support structure for the sustainability efforts already in place, and to lead the development and implementation of initiatives that support the long-term sustainability of the organization and align with its vision, mission, and goals. In short, our leadership appreciates the need for intentionality when it comes to the sustainability of Santee Cooper.
We’ve had an active first two years in the Sustainability Department. From working on the statutorily required just transition process associated with the eventual closure of the Winyah Generating Station, to the publication of a revamped annual sustainability report, and engagement with our internal and external stakeholders, the team has been busy. As a part of recent reorganization, the department was moved from under the Office of General Counsel’s umbrella to its own department, Strategy and Communications – again a recognition of how strategy and sustainability are linked. The Research and Development, Organizational Culture, and Corporate Communications and External Affairs Departments are also now part of the Strategy and Communications Team. Each of these functions is vital when leading the charge on strategy.
At Santee Cooper we believe our structure, vision, and goals align the strategy of our organization with the sustainability of our organization. For us, the two things are inextricably intertwined as we push to be the premier utility in South Carolina and the leading resource for improving the quality of life for all South Carolinians.
