Where to Start with Sustainability: A Practical Guide for Businesses

6 May 2026

For many businesses, sustainability feels like something that sits just outside reach.

Not because it isn’t important. Most companies already understand that. But because it’s often unclear where to begin, what matters most, or how to take the first step without adding cost or complexity.

In practice, sustainability doesn’t begin with a policy or a long-term roadmap. It starts with a simple question: Where are we now?

Why starting is the hardest part

Across Ireland, businesses are being asked to do more: reduce emissions, improve reporting, respond to customer expectations and prepare for regulation. At the same time, they are managing day-to-day pressures, from staffing to costs.

That tension is real, and it explains why progress can stall before it begins. The challenge isn’t a lack of intent. It’s a lack of clarity. We see this in the same way wider energy transition challenges are discussed.

The ambition is there, but delivery depends on practical steps, data and the right tools to support decision-making. The same applies at business level.

A more practical way to approach sustainability

Going Green was developed by Green Tech Skillnet and County Wexford Chamber Skillnet to make sustainability easier to approach, particularly for SMEs. It is a free platform that helps businesses understand their current position and take action in a structured, manageable way.

Every business is at a different stage. Some are already taking action. Others are just beginning to explore what sustainability means in practice. Wherever you are in your business’ sustainability journey, goinggreen.ie is here to support you on the way.

Register

The platform will guide you to take measurable steps to improve your standing. To get started, register an account and answer the sustainability assessment.  

The outcome is a simple maturity rating. Not a score for comparison, but a baseline to work from. This distinction matters, because progress is not about getting everything right immediately. It is about knowing what to do next.

From insight to action

Once businesses understand where they stand, the next step is deciding what to prioritise. The platform provides a tailored action plan, with suggested measures and space to track progress over time. Teams can contribute, update actions and build momentum gradually. There is no expectation to do everything at once. Instead, the focus is on steady, realistic progress which can be sustained.

Once you have your results you can build an ‘Action Plan’, your roadmap to climbing the Sustainability ladder. Define your sustainability goals and objectives and the platform will make recommendations for you.

If you need assistance in building your action plan, consider taking basic courses related to sustainability to gain foundational knowledge and ideas.

Building capability through training

Based on each business’s assessment and prioritised areas for action, Going Green recommends relevant sustainability training programmes. This helps companies find support that matches their needs, whether they are just starting out or ready to develop more advanced capability.

The platform will also compile a database of sustainability training offerings in Ireland, making it easier for businesses to discover practical learning opportunities in one place.

For trainers, Going Green creates a direct route to a national, sustainability-focused audience. It supports hassle-free course visibility and delivery, while also providing data-driven insights to help measure reach, engagement and impact.

In this way, the platform helps connect sustainability ambition with the skills needed to deliver it.

Making progress possible

Ireland’s transition to a more sustainable economy is already underway. Renewable energy, for example, is now a central part of how the country is reducing emissions and strengthening resilience.

For individual businesses the journey is different, but the principle is the same. Progress happens when the steps are clear, achievable and supported. That is the gap Going Green is designed to fill. Because sustainability is not about doing everything at once. It is about taking the first step and not stopping there.