Q&A with Inhabit: How businesses can thrive sustainably

As we attempt to figure out more of our own sustainability challenges, we sat down with Inhabit to ask them all about their sustainability consulting and how they help businesses navigate the path to Net-Zero. Check out our Q&A below to learn more about common sustainability challenges and how Inhabit helps tackle them with a unique and highly personalised approach. 

For those unfamiliar with Inhabit, how would you describe your mission as a company and the kind of work that you do?

We help businesses define, operate, and communicate impactful sustainability strategies, and our mission is to empower these businesses to thrive sustainably. With expert guidance on strategy development through to implementation, we cover the full sustainability spectrum with a strong focus on Carbon & Net-Zero. Ultimately, we assist businesses with measuring their impact, setting reduction targets, and providing an evidence-based pathway for them to achieve their goals.

How would you describe the unique role that Inhabit plays in the sustainability space?

Our human-led and technology-enabled approach streamlines data capture and reporting. That lets us spend time on what’s important: change. We offer a personalised level of guidance that goes beyond the available Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) tech platforms, and makes us far more cost-effective than a traditional consultancy. We are essentially your bolt-on sustainability team, ensuring your business is equipped to tackle the most important challenges of today.

What are the most common sustainability challenges that your clients face, and how does Inhabit help overcome them?

Taking the first step is always the biggest challenge. For most of our clients, it's the first time that they are thinking about their organisation's impact. Figuring out both the available (and lack of!) data sources is always the first hurdle. We preach progress over perfection, and the first step is to understand where we are today and what can be improved over time – you’ve got to be realistic.

Can you tell us a bit more about what it means for a business to achieve operational net zero and the steps you’d recommend to get there?

Net-Zero is defined as “an absolute 90% reduction in emissions from the base year”. So the first step is the initial assessment (carbon footprint measurement in year 1). Typically, for a service-based business, the largest emissions source is in the supply chain. Focusing on procurement and supplier engagement to ensure your partners align with your values is a key focus area. More ‘traditional’ areas of impact include things like travel and office energy.

With a diverse portfolio across multiple industries, how does Inhabit customise its approach to meet the unique sustainability needs of each client?

The principles remain the same across industries, but the application can vary. Generally speaking, and across the full sustainability spectrum, we approach projects by looking at:

1. Where are we today

2. Where do we want to be

3. How do we get there

It’s about understanding what is being done already and how we can improve. Often, a lot of good practices are happening anyway, they just need some structure. As sustainability is such a broad topic, understanding where we are heading and the motivations is crucial to determining strategy.

What does “thriving sustainably” mean in practical, measurable terms at Inhabit?

Thriving sustainably means that businesses can operate in a way that benefits them and their stakeholders. It’s about making sure that the way things have been done is optimal for moving forward. A reduction in impact is strongly correlated to a reduction in costs. Creating an environment where businesses operate in a way that benefits people and the planet, whilst reducing costs – now that’s thriving sustainably!

How do you foster ongoing relationships with clients to ensure continuous improvement in their sustainability journeys?

We focus on long-term partnerships over one-off projects. There’s always a starting point, which can be a single project, but in our eyes, this is the beginning of a long-term relationship. We make sure we are always available for your needs with someone on hand to speak to. We typically integrate through Slack, which enables ongoing communication. Regular check-ins are scheduled to make sure you’re not left alone after the initial piece of work, and we’ll continue to work with you to make small iterative improvements that add up in the long term.

What’s one common misconception businesses have when they first start engaging with sustainability, and how do you help shift that mindset?

The most common misconception we face is “we do not have much of an impact, as we do not manufacture anything”. If that’s true, then you should at least carry out an assessment to quantify that impact. You’ll then have evidence, should you be asked by any partners, clients, or potential clients. In reality, Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions such as suppliers and purchased goods) are usually significant and the ‘hidden cost of carbon’ in the sense that these areas are not typically thought of as high impact.

What’s one common misconception businesses have when they first start engaging with sustainability, and how do you help shift that mindset?

We feel like we’ve created a tool that's super flexible, quick, and easy for marketers to get into. What we want to focus on now is how to get all of that data and data sources that CRM managers need and enhance them. That’s something, let’s call it data capabilities that we have in the pipeline. Another thing that we want to focus on is managing larger teams with different brands or versions of a template. These complexities emerge in large corporations when you have lots of different teams so that’s a feature that we’re looking forward to building. We also want to create an AI feature or features that can work hand in hand with our platform to assist the user. I can't specifically tell you what that looks like just yet but we’ve been working on it extensively to ensure stability, and it's looking very promising.

Are there emerging sectors or technologies you’re particularly excited about when it comes to sustainability solutions?

The emergence of the Science-Based Targets initiative, the body that defines and approves reduction targets, has been key for standardising how businesses report and set emissions targets. This levels the playing field in knowing that you are comparing like-for-like. Before this (the standard came out in 2022), there was a lack of transparency. Businesses would be reporting differently and leaving things out, which meant other businesses were hesitant to disclose all emissions.

If a business wants to make those first steps into learning about sustainability, what are the 3 key first steps you’d recommend for them?

The B Corp framework is a great way to structure a business's first steps into sustainability and provides guidance for best practice, but we would say:

1. Define what you want to achieve – think about what matters most to you and your stakeholders

2. Doing something is better than doing nothing. Don’t be scared to get started

3. Speak to us!

We hope you’re feeling inspired to take your first step towards a greener future! In the case of sustainability, something is always better than nothing, so no matter how small you feel a change might be, it’s worth it!