Sally Jeanrenaud

“There is no business to be done on a dead planet.”
David Brower, leading American environmentalist

“There is no business case in enduring poverty.”
Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever

With each passing day, the need to transform our organizations, whether they be for-profit or not-for-profit, into a positive force for sustainable action becomes ever more critical. We only have one planet to support us—this may be stating the obvious but the serious social and environmental challenges facing the world today stem from viewing the planet as an infinite source of clean air, clean water and free ‘natural capital’ on which to build our global economy—without regard for future generations. Organizations that get ahead of the competition by integrating sustainability into their core business will be the ones who flourish.

Managers can play key roles within organizations by lobbying for new business models and practices, and by helping persuade their senior management and inspiring their employees to create innovations that foster sustainability.

The objectives for this topic are to:

• Learn how sustainability can be a driver of innovation and value creation in your organization.
• Examine current organizational practices through a 5-step process to get a preliminary sense of what lies ahead for your organization.
• Challenge existing thinking and envision practical solutions.