Greening corporate culture takes more than replacing plastic water bottles and Styrofoam coffee cups. Often, it takes a dramatic shift; a shift that, when weighed against the bottom-line, that can appear far too daunting.

Yet, this shift is essential.

In an industry marked by risk, too many industry representatives—from adjusters, to underwriters, to carrier executives, to brokers and legal professionals—know that ignoring climate change and environmental factors, both in coverage considerations and in our own businesses, is tantamount to sticking your head in the sand.

And the process doesn’t have to be daunting, but it does have to happen.

Many organizations are following a simple four-step preparatory model for greening their corporate culture and for determining how to consider sustainability in all areas of their business.

1)         Don’t reinvent the wheel.
For two decades a number of very good foundations, companies and organizations have researched, devised, compiled and created plans for going green. So why should your company go it alone? Instead use the tried, tested and true principles, developed by these associations.

For example, in the fall of 1989, Ceres (a national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working to implement sustainability into capital markets) developed the Ceres Principles. Today, over 50 companies have endorsed these Principles, including 13 Fortune 500 firms, each of whom have adopted their own equivalent environmental principles.

The Ceres principles are:

• Protection of the Biosphere
• Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
• Reduction and Disposal of Wastes
• Energy Conservation
• Risk Reduction
• Safe Products and Services
• Environmental Restoration
• Informing the Public
• Management Commitment
• Audits and Reports

(Go to www.ceres.com for the full report).

While not every principle will apply directly (or indirectly) to your own business, or the business you write, this is a good framework to examine analysis areas of concern and possible change.

2)         Get the goods: Do an audit.
Before making any changes, and after setting up some clear goals based on sustainable principles, you need to assess the current state of your business. This is done through an environment audit or assessment. While there are many consulting firms that will charge a fee for this service, there is a quick way of assessing your current office practices: An online audit.

Through Friends of the Earth Scotland, any company, anywhere in the world, can assess their current practice. Their website (http://www.green-office.org.uk/audit.php?goingto=audit0) also provides factsheets and tips on how to turn a poor audit result into a greener option for your business.

3)         Keep the process clear and simple.
Developing a green policy and action plan can become overwhelming, but it need not be. Consider the sustainable policy as your business’ vision, and the action plan as the framework. By being clear about the principles you would like to achieve, you can tailor the plan to fit your organization.

For example, the City of Toronto Environmental Task Force chose only four criteria—transportation, energy use, economic development and education/awareness—when developing their plan. By determining their goal—reduce resources— and by focusing on their chosen criteria, the task force was able to develop a comprehensive, achievable and, most importantly, measurable plan.

4)         Document your achievements.
We are a results oriented culture. We thrive on sales results, on lasting relationships, on community impact and on charitable work; we thrive on taking action and getting results. For that reason, alone, it is essential that someone in your company be tasked with the responsibility of obtaining and disseminating the results of your corporation’s sustainable initiatives. Whether its switching to energy-efficient light bulbs (and how much this will save the company), or reminding people that the new print-on-both-sides paper policy will help save a certain number of trees each year, everyone needs to know that their little part is helping in the bigger scheme.

And disseminating information can be free and easy. Send an e-mail; include the results in a digital e-newsletter; share your success with the media or put up a notice in a communal site—like the lunchroom—highlighting key successes and next steps.

There are many reasons why it is important to develop an environmental policy and action plan. However, with the insurance industry uniquely poised help other businesses to achieve a more sustainable business practice, it is almost imperative that we practice what we preach.