Sustainability was another important management issue introduced in Chapter 1. For many companies, sustainability is incorporated into the organization’s overall culture. For example, Johnson & Johnson’s Senior Director of Environment said, “Sustainability is embedded in our culture. It’s been a part of who we are for more than 65 years, long before the notion of sustainability became trendy.”45 What can companies do to create a sustainability culture?

• Get everyone involved in defining what sustainability means to the organization. When employees aren’t “on board” with it, it’s going to be hard to improve or measure sustainability efforts.

• Get employees—individuals or teams—involved in finding ways to be more sustainable.

• Create rituals to reinforce the importance of sustainability. For instance, a day/week devoted to different sustainability practices or beginning every corporate meeting with a sustainability topic.

• Use rewards. Tie employee bonuses to meeting sustainability goals. Or, give prizes when an employee does something that supports or exemplifies the sustainability culture.

When managers and organizations embed sustainability practices in the culture, the culture reinforces those practices. If sustainability is an important cultural value, it needs to be nurtured to grow and become a defining trait.