Full Answer Section

• Finance: The finance department will be responsible for managing the budget for your sustainability initiative. They will also need to provide input on the cost-effectiveness of different initiatives.
• Information technology (IT): The IT department will be responsible for developing and maintaining any software or hardware systems that are needed to support your sustainability initiative.
• Marketing and communications: The marketing and communications department will be responsible for raising awareness of your sustainability initiative among both internal and external stakeholders.

Evidence for choices

• Top leadership: The top leadership of any organization is essential to the success of any new initiative. They have the power to allocate resources, remove roadblocks, and set the tone for the organization.
• Employees: Employees are the ones who will be responsible for implementing any new initiative on a daily basis. They need to be trained and given the authority and resources they need to be successful.
• Finance: The finance department is responsible for managing the budget for any new initiative. They also need to provide input on the cost-effectiveness of different initiatives.
• IT: The IT department is responsible for developing and maintaining any software or hardware systems that are needed to support any new initiative.
• Marketing and communications: The marketing and communications department is responsible for raising awareness of any new initiative among both internal and external stakeholders.

Key external stakeholders

• Government agencies: Government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels may have regulations that affect your sustainability initiative. They may also be able to provide financial or technical assistance.
• Industry associations: Industry associations can provide a forum for you to learn from other organizations that are implementing sustainability initiatives. They can also advocate for your interests with government agencies and other stakeholders.
• Nonprofit organizations: Nonprofit organizations that are working on sustainability issues may be able to provide you with financial or technical assistance. They may also be able to help you raise awareness of your initiative among the public.
• Community members: Community members may be interested in your sustainability initiative because it could affect them directly or indirectly. For example, they may be interested in how your initiative will affect the environment, the economy, or their quality of life.

Evidence for choices

• Government agencies: Government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels may have regulations that affect your sustainability initiative. They may also be able to provide financial or technical assistance. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a variety of programs and resources to help businesses reduce their environmental impact.
• Industry associations: Industry associations can provide a forum for you to learn from other organizations that are implementing sustainability initiatives. They can also advocate for your interests with government agencies and other stakeholders. For example, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) is a trade association that represents companies in the energy sector. BCSE works to promote policies that support the development and deployment of clean energy technologies.
• Nonprofit organizations: Nonprofit organizations that are working on sustainability issues may be able to provide you with financial or technical assistance. They may also be able to help you raise awareness of your initiative among the public. For example, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is a global nonprofit organization that works to conserve nature and reduce environmental impact. WWF has a variety of programs that support businesses in implementing sustainability initiatives.
• Community members: Community members may be interested in your sustainability initiative because it could affect them directly or indirectly. For example, they may be interested in how your initiative will affect the environment, the economy, or their quality of life. For example, if your organization is implementing a new recycling program, community members may be interested in learning more about how to participate in the program.

Partnerships

• Top leadership: The top leadership of multiple organizations can partner to develop and implement joint sustainability initiatives. For example, in 2019, the CEOs of 181 companies signed a Business Roundtable statement that committed their companies to delivering value to all stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, the environment, and communities.
• Employees: Employees of different organizations can partner to share knowledge and best practices related to sustainability. For example,