From Intention to Action: The Path to Corporate Sustainability

From Intention to Action: The Path to Corporate Sustainability 

How to Begin the Journey Toward Corporate Sustainability 

The evolution of an organization into a responsible actor in society and the environment—grounded in ethics, legal compliance, and strong corporate governance—can initially seem like an overwhelming project. 

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face the dilemma of staying afloat in an increasingly competitive environment, while also responding to growing demands from society, consumers, regulators, and large corporations seeking suppliers that align with their ESG standards. 

These rising expectations push businesses to ask a fundamental question: Where do I start? 

That was the key question posed at the second ESG Forum, organized by the Secretariat for Equality and Inclusion of the Government of Nuevo León, held on March 5, 2025, at the Business School auditorium at Tecnológico de Monterrey (EGADE). It’s also a common concern for business leaders across Mexico and around the world. 

Although few would deny the importance of a sustainable approach as a path to building more competitive and profitable businesses, as with any meaningful initiative, the first steps are often the hardest—and the most important. 

First Steps on the Road to Sustainability

  1. Make the decision. 
    The first step is shifting the vision of the company from being merely a source of profit for a few, to being a source of value for various stakeholders—understanding “value” as something much deeper than money, and “stakeholders” as everyone who is in some way touched by the organization. Viewing the business as a generator of economic, social, and environmental value is the first major mindset shift on the road to sustainability. 
  2. Engage leadership. 
    Embarking on this journey requires the commitment, alignment, and active participation of the organization’s top leaders—or at least the majority of them. It must be a shared decision and a collective effort. 
  3. Focus efforts (materiality). 
    Another key mindset shift is moving away from charity or corporate philanthropy and instead seeing sustainability as a strategic path to business competitiveness and long-term resilience. This approach helps identify the issues at the intersection of our goals, potential risks, stakeholder concerns, and the areas with the greatest future impact on the organization. In other words, a materiality assessment, which can be as simple or as sophisticated as the organization chooses. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a solid starting point. Aligning through certification processes—such as the recently launched “Equality and Inclusion Award” by the Secretariat for Equality and Inclusion of Nuevo León—can also serve as a strong first step. 
  4. Set clear and achievable goals. 
    Once the organization has identified its material issues, it can focus its efforts accordingly—setting goals that are clear, ambitious, yet attainable, and capable of generating measurable performance indicators. (See: How to Set Sustainability Goals for Your Business) 
  5. Communicate your commitment. 
    Making your commitment public invites society and stakeholders to monitor your progress, provide feedback, and support the journey. Yes, making a commitment can be daunting—but it’s what brings that commitment to life. 
  6. Track your progress. 
    What gets measured, gets improved. Having commitments, goals, and metrics naturally leads to a desire for improvement and continued progress toward higher-impact objectives. That’s how you know you’re on the right path. 

The road ahead is long and challenging, but today—more than ever—entrepreneurs have access to a wide range of advisory services, and the support of public, private, and civil society organizations, along with consultants and experts ready to accompany them every step of the way. 

Fidel Salazar
Director de Consultoría
fsalazar@komunikalatam.com
LinkedIn: Fidel Salazar

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