Here at Baxter Freight, our mission is to put people and the planet at the heart of everything we do. We’re on a journey of embedding sustainability across our business and as part of that have recently announced our B Corp certification.
Whether working with customers, suppliers or within our own teams, every single person across our business plays a vital part in driving our mission forward every day. But at the same time, I know that if we are to continue to progress our environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, as Chair of the business I need to champion them.
Don’t let siloed thinking get in the way
At its core, ESG is about making better decisions for all stakeholders. Once thought of more from a compliance perspective, it has now evolved into a strategic priority that keenly shapes how organisations grow, innovate and build trust. It’s a vital part of making any business fit to face the future and encourages the next generation by providing meaning and purpose to their work. In our industry it’s becoming clear that it’s no longer enough to transport goods efficiently; we also need to do so in a way that is transparent, ethical and sustainable.
This demands leadership.
Without senior leaders championing ESG as a core part of their business strategy and instilling that shared belief and investment within their teams, it risks becoming – at best – ineffective and – at worst – performative.
I’ve learnt this the hard way. Many years ago, when I first came in to lead my previous business, I had a clear vision for how our safety culture should come to life but had outsourced implementation entirely to others. Even though we had the right management structure in place, I soon realised that – if I really wanted to change culture, I had to get more involved and provide stronger leadership.
The same is true of ESG.
Of course, sharing vision really matters but no amount of inspirational speaking can be a substitute for action.
The most powerful ESG narratives don’t just reflect a company’s values, they are tied to tangible, relatable progress. When executives visibly prioritise ESG, it signals that these issues matter. Siloing sustainability solely to an internal team, no matter how brilliant they are, limits its impact and risks businesses being seen to be “Greenwashing”.
Leading from the front inspires employee investment
Strong ESG performance depends on more than strategy – it depends on culture.
If you get them onside, employees can be the biggest advocates when driving ESG initiatives. But leaders need to set the tone by prioritising openness, integrity and accountability. Prioritising people alongside performance, creates a more engaged workforce and stronger, more resilient partnerships.
Centring ESG at the heart of our business strategy, being transparent about progress, and championing ethical, sustainable practices internally has allowed us to open an honest dialogue with our team about our ESG journey from the outset. This has meant we’ve been able to highlight the opportunity it offers and enable employees to actively take ownership within their day-to-day decision-making – from planning routes and building supplier relationships to supporting our investment in technology and giving back to the community.
Their passion and commitment is embodied within our mission, and elevating their voices has allowed us to shape our offering, maintain momentum and communicate our values with authenticity.
Sustainability is a shared responsibility
Setting ESG ambitions is one thing; delivering them is another.
Scope 1 and 2 emissions, for example, focus on the consequences of owned and controlled sources for example by limiting energy consumption from buildings and facilities. Scope 3 emissions, on the other hand, are often far harder to calculate – despite often being where the biggest carbon footprint lies. This is because Scope 3 relates to all indirect emissions created across a company’s value chain requiring input and collaboration from procurement, operations, and logistics teams, to provide measurement and affect change.
As our Associate Director of Innovation and Sustainability, Tom Isler, stated during his presentation to the edie 26 Summit, “there has been brilliant innovation within the logistics industry in working out how to report, reduce and remove the impact of carbon over the last decade” but there needs to be a stronger commitment to addressing Scope 3 to create the demand to pull these innovations into the marketplace.
Ultimately, as our mission reflects, progress comes from combining creativity, relationships, and technology to deliver smarter, more responsible solutions. As we commit to delivering practical, data-led solutions, we can work together to drive progress that benefits everyone. However, if we are to make change happen, I know that that change needs to be led from the top.
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