The 4 Signs of a Worthy Sustainable Business Partner

Julie Starr • July 1, 2021



Sustainability is a buzzword that is truly everywhere these days. But if we are looking to embody sustainability in every part of our business dealings, we must remember that we need to work with like-minded clients. How can we tell if another business is serious about sustainability? It is important that we embed sustainability into our cultural values, but we have to recognize the signs of a client that is committed to sustainability. What are these? 

Commitment to the Suppliers

A long-term commitment to any supplier is crucial, but it is surprisingly rare in mainstream businesses. The importance of long-term relationships creates stability and certainty which nurtures better conditions for everybody. This is especially true in the supply chain, but you can see it in other areas as well. Any digital marketing agency worth their salt will gear themselves to overcome the most common challenges. If you see a business that constantly switches suppliers to keep the cost down, this is a sure-fire sign they are not operating ethically. 

They Keep Their Social Mission as a Core Value

Core values are undoubtedly important, but if it is truly embedded into the legal documents, this is another sign that they are a supplier that will go the extra mile. What is their legal priority? If they are focused on profits rather than social and environmental goals, are they the type of people you want to work with? Some organizations speak of profit as the be-all and end-all, but my speaking, this is not sound.

They Focus on Doing the Right Thing

Can you find real-world examples of the business investing in sustainable production even if it cuts its margins? If they are clearly focused on upholding human rights in the most difficult of scenarios and are doing it despite not gaining a profit, these signs can separate those who pretend to be sustainable from people who are actually for the cause. Learning to do the right thing is not always easy because of the questions that arise from the bottom line. A business that is truly committed to sustainability is more than aware of the impacts on its bottom line but is committed to doing the right thing. Some companies are sustainable, but they only limit the same ability to areas where they can profit. It is worth paying close attention to this.

Look at Where the Profits Go

Every business experiences pressures to grow profit. If you witness a company that grows profits distributed to its shareholders, it is going to greatly undermine any sense of mission. But this is also a lesson that we can learn in ourselves. If you look after your infrastructure in a practical sense, but also recognize where the profits actually go and learn to redistribute it to the people who need it will greatly provide a more satisfying personal experience, but make sure your company is morally and ethically sound. 

A worthy business partner should bolster your business, rather than make you question your allegiances.

By Julie Starr March 31, 2025
In the race to decarbonize our world, one area often overlooked is digital marketing. While it might seem inherently clean compared to print or physical campaigns, our online activities have a real and measurable environmental footprint. From servers powering your website to emails filling up inboxes, every click, stream, and scroll contributes to carbon emissions. At Taiga Company, we believe digital strategies can be powerful and low-impact. Here’s how to get started. Optimize for a Low-Carbon Web Why it matters: Websites and digital ads are hosted on servers that consume electricity, often powered by fossil fuels. Every time a user loads your site or ad, it uses energy. How to reduce your impact: Host green: Choose web hosts that use renewable energy or offset emissions. Clean up your code: Streamlined, efficient code reduces load times and energy use. Compress and reduce images: Smaller files mean faster pages and fewer emissions. Limit heavy media: Videos and animations are carbon-intensive; use them mindfully. A faster, leaner website isn’t just better for the planet—it also boosts SEO and user experience. Email Marketing with Intention Why it matters: Every email sent, received, and stored requires energy. Multiply that by millions of sends, and the impact adds up. How to reduce your impact: Clean your lists: Remove inactive subscribers to avoid waste. Segment wisely: Only send emails to those who will truly benefit. Use plain-text when possible: It’s lower in data and often more accessible. Reduce frequency: Send fewer, higher-quality emails with genuine value. Intentional emailing reduces not only emissions but also improves deliverability and engagement. Sustainable SEO and Content Strategy Why it matters: Search engines crawl, index, and serve up billions of web pages daily. Thoughtless content and bloated sites add to the load. How to reduce your impact: Create evergreen content: Focus on high-quality pages that stay relevant longer. Streamline your site structure: Fewer clicks to find content = less energy use. Use minimal plugins and scripts: Especially ones that load on every page. Green your CMS: Some content management systems are more resource-efficient than others. Sustainable SEO isn’t just eco-friendly—it’s good strategy. Fewer, better pieces often perform better than content mills. Rethink Marketing Automation Why it matters: Automated emails, ads, and data syncing can create a lot of digital clutter. That clutter eats up storage and energy. How to reduce your impact: Audit regularly: Retire old workflows and outdated automations. Optimize syncing: Reduce how often and how much data is transferred. Segment with purpose: Better targeting means fewer wasted sends. Use expiration dates: Don’t let outdated content or assets live forever. Efficient automation can reduce emissions and improve performance. Digital marketing isn’t going away—and it shouldn’t. It offers powerful tools for connection, education, and growth. But like all tools, it can be used more sustainably. At Taiga Company, we’re committed to helping organizations lower their environmental impact without sacrificing reach or results. Sustainable digital marketing is not only possible; it’s essential. Ready to make your marketing aligned with your company's corporate sustainability plan? Let’s start the conversation.
By Julie Starr March 24, 2025
At Taiga Company, we work alongside brands who are not only doing the hard work of sustainability—but are learning how to talk about it in ways that connect with their stakeholders. This World Water Day , we’re reflecting on how leading beverage companies are advancing bold water stewardship goals and communicating those efforts clearly, thoughtfully, and strategically across digital platforms. Water is foundational to the beverage industry. From ingredient sourcing to packaging to community health, it’s a resource that demands attention—not just in terms of conservation, but in terms of how that commitment is shared with consumers, investors, regulators, and partners. Below, we’re highlighting three beverage companies whose recent water stewardship actions—and storytelling—stood out. PepsiCo: From Field to Community, Global Water Replenishment in Action PepsiCo launched 16 new water replenishment projects across nine countries in 2024 alone, restoring more than 1.7 billion liters of water to local ecosystems. These projects are practical and people-centered—ranging from irrigation efficiency in Texas to sustainable farming practices in the Dominican Republic. What stood out: clear project data, human-focused storytelling, and alignment with global frameworks. PepsiCo’s water webpage provides easy access to targets, progress updates, and case studies, helping stakeholders understand both the “why” and the “how.” Suntory Global Spirits: Water at the Heart of the Brand Suntory’s brands—from Maker’s Mark in Kentucky to Yamazaki in Japan—share a common origin: water. The company’s commitment to being net water positive by 2050 isn’t just a corporate goal—it’s integrated into brand storytelling, on-site conservation efforts, and supplier engagement. Their message is rooted in authenticity: water isn’t just an operational input, it’s an essential ingredient in their identity. Learn more on Suntory’s efforts via their LinkedIn post . Asahi Group Holdings: Building Local Water Resilience Together In the Netherlands, Asahi’s Koninklijke Grolsch partnered with stakeholders in the Twente region to develop a local water platform focused on reducing consumption and innovating wastewater reuse. This goes beyond operational efficiency—it’s about building water resilience within a shared ecosystem. Their community-first framing and long-term investment approach were key themes in this post . Why This Matters At Taiga Company, we believe that sustainability actions only go as far as their ability to be understood, felt, and trusted. Communicating water stewardship isn’t just about reporting metrics or sharing photos of wetlands (although both can help). It’s about giving stakeholders the context they need to see a company’s values in motion—clear commitments, thoughtful execution, and measurable impact.  If your team is evolving its water strategy—or simply looking for better ways to communicate what you're already doing—we’d love to be part of that conversation.
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