Building a sustainable future for the channel

A strong channel strategy is forged with the right mix of technology, support mechanisms and security. Over the last twelve months, channel partners have continued to implement solutions, tools and programmes to enable their customers to better protect and safeguard their assets. Moving further into 2023, this is going to need to continue, but with an ever scrutinising eye on sustainability and talent growth, channel partners will need to become even more disciplined than before.

Moving into the next phase of the year, the channel needs to take its environmental, social and governance responsibilities seriously with systematic assessment and continued development of their ESG agenda. A sustainable business is key to longer-term value creation for stakeholders, employees, and customers. It is a part of how channel partners will need to begin to operate, and trusted vendors and customers can help guide them.

Sustainability is the Key

Sustainability is not a new concept. Yet, progress in the past 126 years has been slow.

The channel has a responsibility to build and implement resilience and also technologies that are aiding the sustainability field.

Channel partners around the world are facing a few significant challenges, one major issue being the growing emphasis on sustainable business practices led by policymakers and stakeholders. Bridging the gap between the known and unknown here can be difficult, but with the right strategy, partnerships and trust, channel partners can deliver the right combination of efficient performance and compelling economics to propel themselves forward.

Channel partners need to work with trusted vendors to identify and implement initiatives that will help them reduce their impact on the planet. Working more closely and collaboratively with customers and suppliers will help us share knowledge, to understand what we’re doing and also demonstrate our good environmental practice, while learning from others.

If the channel still has any doubt about engaging in sustainability practices, partners should be suggesting they look at their own workforce. The importance of considering sustainability practice as part of the employee experience cannot be underestimated if businesses are to attract and retain the best talent.

How do we move forward?

2023 will be the year where channel partners will need to continue to leverage more technologies to address the challenges that the channel sees on a daily basis, all whilst remaining steadfast in their ESG narrative. Strategies need to be strengthened, as the nature of the landscape and the complexity of environments has changed. This is a great opportunity to bring in different perspectives, in the ESG or IT space, that will play a prominent role in a company's success in securing themselves for the future.

Knowing how to achieve a good ESG strategy will come from a solid partnership, built on trust, and constant communication, change and understanding. But you’re not done there, the channel then needs to continue to measure and monitor their emissions, repeat the planning exercise and revisit those plans to make sure that they are achieving what they hoped.

One thing that’s already very clear is that a small team can’t make it happen alone. The channel is a small part of a big machine that needs everybody across the landscape to understand what we’re trying to do and help us to identify the opportunities and mitigate any drawbacks. Achieving Net Zero won’t be easy, but it’s the only way forward if we want to preserve our planet.