Manage Adaptation to Environmental Change in Support of Sustainable Business Practice

​This standard is about adapting to environmental change in support of sustainable business practice. It is important that organisations consider predictions regarding environmental change and take action to adapt and therefore minimise the impact of the change on their activities. Helping to ensure the continuing sustainability of business practice.

The standard requires the ability to complete research, collect data and analyse data to predict how environmental change may impact on the organisation. It then requires identified risks to be quantified and actions to be specified that will limit their potential impact on the organisation. The standard also requires the development and implementation of an adaptation strategy for the organisation.

The ability to communicate with different types of people to both gain approval and support for the adaptation strategy is essential.

This standard would be appropriate for:
Those responsible for supporting the development of sustainable business practice. It is likely to apply to senior environmental managers within large organisations and owner managers within SMEs.

​P1 investigate the likely impacts of environmental change on organisational activities
P2 quantify the risk posed by environmental change projections to determine organisational vulnerability
P3 quantify the potential impact of the drivers and barriers to organisational adaptation
P4 identify potential adaptation opportunities for the organisation
P5 evaluate and prioritise potential adaptation opportunities
P6 develop a strategy for the organisation to deliver adaptation opportunities in support of organisational sustainability objectives
P7 consult with decision makers to ensure the adaptation strategy is appropriate to the nature and scale of the organisation
P8 gain approval and support for the adaptation strategy from decision makers
P9 identify and obtain the resources required to support planned innovation
P10 maintain a risk register in support of adaptation
P11 apply contingency plans to correct variations from planned adaptation
P12 support the implementation of planned adaptation opportunities
P13 monitor and report on the implementation of the adaptation strategy
P14 communicate the benefits of adaptation strategy to stakeholders

​K1 the principles of adaptation
K2 the legislation, industry standards, circular economy and voluntary codes that support climate change adaptation
K3 how the economic, social and environmental principles of sustainable development supports the need for adaptation to environmental change
K4 environmental change projections linked to climate change
K5 how to quantify the risks associated with climate change to determine organisational vulnerability
K6 how organisational adaptation can limit the impact of climate change
K7 the drivers and barriers for organisational adaptation
K8 the sources of environmental change advice and support
K9 how to develop an adaptation strategy
K10 the adaptation opportunities that are available to the organisation
K11 how to evaluate and prioritise adaptation opportunities
K12 how to integrate adaptation into routine organisational activities
K13 how to monitor and report on an organisation’s adaptation strategy
K14 how to communicate the need for adaptation
K15 how to engage with the different stakeholders

​Risk to include those:
1 internal to the organisation
2 external to the organisation

Drivers and barriers to include:
1 legislation
2 compliance
3 government policy
4 organisational governance
5 circular economy
6 good practice
7 economic commitment
8 human well-being

Adaptation opportunities relating to:
1 product offering
2 business processes and operations
3 business services

Sustainability objectives including:
1 economic
2 social and ethical
3 environmental

Resources to include:
1 people
2 finance
3 technology
4 knowledge

Stakeholders to include:
1 decision makers
2 organisational colleagues
3 customers
4 suppliers