What a summer we have had in Europe this year! Living in the UK, it’s been great having days out that were not ruined by rain, being able to sit outside eating and socialising until late in the evening without having to grab a warm top and, of course, just the general well-being and happier mood that always seems to be associated with better weather. It is on track to be the hottest year on record, the meteorologists tell us. What’s not to like?

Well actually, now you come to mention it, quite a bit. Wildfires raging, destroying homes and taking lives. Farmers seeing crop yields devastated. Water sources drying up with hose pipe and other water-use bans enforced due to drought conditions. Wildlife dying. Public transport systems, which have not been designed for such climates, failing – sometimes with lethal consequences. Just to pick some of the more headline-grabbing reasons.

Unless you’re a diehard climate denier, this year you really can’t help but start to consider more about the implications of climate change and the general health of our planet.

But what can we, as individuals or organisations, do about it when it is such a huge global issue? As the anthropologist Margaret Mead is quoted as saying: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’

It’s quite timely, therefore, that a new framework has been launched by the Healthcare Communications Association, providing a very practical, structured, sector-specific sustainability and ESG (environmental, social and governance) guide for healthcare communications agencies. That includes considering everything from carbon emissions and supplier relationships to employee well-being, diversity, ethics and leadership accountability.

For many agencies, sustainability may feel like yet another item on an already overcrowded to-do list. But as client expectations grow, procurement processes become more rigorous and employees increasingly want to work for responsible businesses, sustainability is rapidly becoming a core business imperative.

Many agencies are SMEs with limited budgets and no dedicated sustainability teams. That places an important responsibility on everyone within an agency. Leadership teams need to provide direction, resources and accountability. Finance departments can play a key role in gathering emissions and procurement data. Those responsible for operations can identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce waste. Others can influence suppliers and purchasing decisions. Crucially, every employee has an important contribution to make through travel choices, responsible resource use and supporting a culture that values sustainability. And, of course, to initiate the hard discussions when client requirements don’t necessarily align with their own sustainability goals.

Each agency will be at different stages of their sustainability journey. The new framework, therefore, provides multiple entry points, aligned to the organisation’s progress. A good place for anybody to start is by measuring what matters. Understanding where emissions come from allows organisations to focus their efforts on the areas that will deliver the greatest impact.

Measuring an organisation’s carbon footprint is typically divided into three categories:

Scope 1 emissions are the direct emissions produced by an organisation’s own operations and are directly controlled. For agencies, this could include fuel used in company-owned vehicles or from the gas used to heat offices.

Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions associated with resources purchased and used. Office electricity use is often the largest Scope 2 source for service-based organisations.

Scope 3 emissions for agencies are typically the most significant and the most challenging to measure. These include emissions generated across an organisation’s value chain. These can include business travel, employee commuting, IT equipment, courier services, events, supplier operations and even digital campaign delivery.

However, measurement alone is not enough. Agencies must also embed sustainability into decision-making. That means assigning senior ownership, reviewing ESG performance regularly, integrating sustainability considerations into procurement and assessing climate-related risks alongside other business risks. Sustainability becomes far more effective when it is woven into everyday business processes rather than treated as a separate reporting exercise.

And as already mentioned, employee well-being, diversity and inclusion, labour rights, training and ethical business conduct are all critical components of a sustainable organisation. Clients, investors and employees increasingly expect agencies to demonstrate progress in these areas, not simply reduce their carbon footprint.

Ultimately, sustainability needs to be viewed as an opportunity, rather than a burden. Agencies involved in the extensive consultation to produce the framework, identified benefits ranging from stronger client relationships and improved competitiveness to greater employee engagement and long-term resilience. Those organisations that are acting now will be far better positioned to meet future expectations and help drive positive change. The agencies that thrive over the coming decade will be those that also successfully embed sustainability into the way they work, lead and create value.

Mike Dixon is CEO of the Healthcare Communications Association and a communications consultant