Wwf believes there is a strong business case for retailers to adopt responsible sourcing of forest products. The business case for supply chain sustainability the business case for supply chain sustainability for a particular company depends on a variety of issues including industry sector, region of operation, stakeholder expectations, business strategy, organizational culture, and past performance. A guide to leading practice sustainable development in mining v. The existence of a business case for sustainability is, however, mostly seen as an adhoc measure, a supplement to the core business, or simply a coincidence.
World business council for the wbcsd is a genevabased business association with a membership of sustainable development some180 international companies from 35 countries, covering more than wbcsd 20 industrial sectors. Click to view the latest business law today january 2015. The company will be in the business of importexport products and will. The business case for sustainability results direct. This business case will lay out the rationale for the integration of green, sustainable best practices in the or, and will demonstrate how or departments at leading hospitals are beginning a new dialogue with sustainability leaders, the supply chain and service providers about how to create collaborative solu. The beginning presents the problemsolution with evidence and the end is the call to action, where you shift responsibility to the donors shoulders. To remain competitive companies must become carbon neutral within a decade. Business cases for sustainability and the role of business. Ten years to deliver the paris agreement by globescan and sustainability, show that experts see the coming decade as crucial for.
Summary sustainability and business performance are related, and they both have a positive impact on each other, according to this survey of nearly 900. Ill offer many more videos about the business case in the days ahead, and also videos on making sustainability relevant for the business community. Top 40 most popular case studies of 2017 in compiling the list, we gave additional weight to usage outside yale. Traditional business models aim to create value for shareholders, often at the expense of other stakeholders. The business case for sustainability and economic success 5 businesses in general, it is not the goal of a business case for sustainability to solve any social problem, but to contribute to solving which relate to the core business of the. Most organizations can be placed somewhere in between. Develop the business plan and undertake market analysis. As international business processes and a focus on environmental and social sustainability continue to expand, so too does the expectation, and in some cases the requirement, that companies incorporate and report upon csr in their operations. It is a supplement to the business case for reducing food loss and waste and provides additional sectorspecific data and analyses. None of the materials may be otherwise reproduced, republished, redisseminated or otherwise provided in any manner or form without the. Business case and sustainability assessment for each of the schemes under consideration to provide consultees with a consistent assessment of each of the shortlisted schemes. Your case, like a story, should have a beginning, middle, and end. At the same time, the demands of a new generation of employees for meaning in their work, the declining levels of trust in companies.
A guide to leading practice sustainable development in mining. Although it is difficult to measure many of the intangible benefits, business relevant metrics can be highly effective in garnering momentum and support across the organization. There have been a number of studies looking at the relation between companies environmental, social, and corporate governance practices esg and their financial performance. The sustainability business case harvard university. The business case 2 risk mitigation the business case for sustainability 27. See the license for more details, but that basically means you can share this book as long as you credit the author but see below, dont make money from it, and do make it available to everyone else under the same terms. The commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. Grafs second, and bigger, task was to grapple with internal corporate strategy. Sustainability making our future the cause of the present. For sustainability to remain a relevant, useful tool, it is important that it adapt to the local context. The business case for corporate sustainability literature.
Well, technically, a business case is a lot like a business plan. To support the recommendations in its final report, the commission has prepared a single overarching business case and sustainability assessment which focuses. Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. There have been a number of studies looking at the relation between companies environmental, social, and corporate governance practices esg and their. The need for sustainable aquaculture is no longer a question, but an important part of future global food systems. The business case for sustainability is evolving sustainability used to be at arms length from core business decisions and seen as additional it was often used to manage areas like brand or direct environmental impacts. At the business level sustainability is often equated with ecoef. He had to make the business case for sustainabilitydriven actions and the case for trying to build sap into a sustainability role model to saps own board of directors. The wbcsd is a coalition of 120 international companies united by a shared commitment to the. Pdf the business case for environmental sustainability.
A useful business case would lead those exposed to it to say, yes, that seems like a good business idea and the preponderance of evidence confirms it. In the case of learning about sustainable business practice, managers often quickly learn enough to be interested in it, but then the learning curve is high steep, and there is a lot to learn to ensure that the sustainable practice serves the interests of the business entity. Sustainability at penn state sustainability planning guidebook for teams draft version 2014. Since the end of the 1990s, corporate sustainability has become a growing interest theme in business and academia. Business case for 14a8 the forum for sustainable and. Pdf a considerable body of literature deals with the creation of economic value while increasing corporate environmental and social. According to ifcs 2007 report banking on sustainability, which included a survey of 120 financial institutions in 43 emerging markets, the integration of sustainability into management systems and practices brings tangible benefits, including new lines of business, new clients, greater access to financing, greater shareholder value, and improved reputation and goodwill. In november 2014 a business case and sustainability assessment was prepared and published for each of the three schemes under consideration, along with the consultation report and a suite of detailed background reports. This book is licensed under a creative commons byncsa 3. Here i begin to explore the issue by focusing on a more limited question, namely whether a business case be made for acting in an environmentally sustainable way, which i define as acting in any way that reduce a firms environmental footprint.
A further search tern used was sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Oct 21, 2016 drawing from our own research and our colleagues research in this area, we have created a sustainability business case for the 21 st century corporate executive. The business case for sustainability professionals in the workplace julia ruedig masters candidate university of michigan erb institute of global sustainable enterprise anisa baldwin metzger, assoc. A strategic approach to sustainable business practice. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the honors in the major program in management entrepreneurship in the college of business administration and the burnett honors college at the university of central florida orlando, florida summer term, 2016. A business case analysis is used as a decisionmaking guide, not only for the stakeholders but also to the project managers and their project team. Thank you for using the download pdf file feature, to.
The global survey of senior executives from around the world conducted by the economist in 2011 found that 76 percent of respondents think that embedding sustainability into the companys business leads to enhanced reputation and increased brand value. This is in line with the findings by harvard business school that reporting on material issues is associated with increases in firm value. Case topics represented on the list vary widely, but a number are drawn from the case teams focus on healthcare, asset management, and sustainability. Apr 09, 2012 an investment in sustainabilitypeople, planet and prosperityis not only a form of corporate philanthropy, but is also core to how a company can succeed and prosper as a business. These case studies are followed by two implementation guides, one for ce and another for the sdgs. Using a business case analysis can help them select different approaches or alternatives on how the flow of the project or program will go. In the article the comprehensive business case for sustainability, published by the harvard. This matrix has been adapted from previous work by sustainability, buried treasure,2 which examined the business case for sustainability in developed countries.
Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability thomas dyllick1 and kai hockerts2 1 university of st. The business case for the current sec shareholder proposal process. Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability. Mercer island is a small community that by size alone cant have a huge impact on global. Ualbertas sustainability plan sustainability at the university of alberta the definition of sustainability is broad, and the world is a big, diverse places. This paper also contains case of a company which is the actual idea for doing business of the author. The business of sustainability many companies are actively integrating sustainability principles into their businesses, according to a recent mckinsey survey,1 and they are doing so by pursuing goals that go far beyond earlier concern for reputation managementfor example, saving energy, developing green products, and retaining and. World business council for sustainable development corporate social responsibility the world business council for sustainable development has sought to be at the forefront of the business response to the sustainable development challenge since 1992. This document aims to help sustainable procurement champions be better at making the case for sustainable procurement within their organisations. Process efficiency and sustainability case studies mass. We attribute this primarily to lack of descriptive research in these areas. Developing value the business case for sustainability in. While task force members are passionate about sustainability, the bottom line is that sustainability is good governance. Introduction to sustainable business and sustainable business.
Sustainable business cases 2012 book archive lardbucket. Corporate responsibility or sustainability is therefore a prominent feature of the business and society literature, addressing topics of business ethics. Kowszyk, yanina ac case studies on circular economy. The business case for environmental and sustainability. Request pdf managing the business case for sustainability this introduction provides an overview of the subject of this book, namely how to manage the. Drawing from our own research and our colleagues research in this area, we have created a sustainability business case for the 21 st century corporate executive. This study documents more than 240 real life examples from over 60 emerging markets. A business case for sustainability, or what scholars in business ethics often call enlightened selfinterest, is mostly described as a situation where economic success is increased while performing well in social and environmental issues. In the last ten years, the notion of a business case for corporate sustainability has increasingly been used by the corporate sector, environmental organi. Many businesses are stuck in the mindset of optimising shortterm financial performance, whilst. Sustainability is a multidimensional subject that involves a diverse range of operational processes and it is argued that a greater portion of sustainability resources.
Jul 11, 2011 the business case 2 risk mitigation the business case for sustainability 25. Realising the sustainable development goals will improve the environment for doing business and building markets. World business council for sustainable development. The business case is not a generic argument that corporate sustainability strategies are the right choice for all companies in all situations, but rather something that must be carefully honed to the specific circumstances of individual companies operating in unique positions within distinct industries. Top 40 most popular case studies of 2017 yale school of. Corporate social responsibility and sustainable business.
The business of sustainability 5 executive summary t here is a strong consensus that sustainability is havingand will continue to havea material impact on how companies think and act. Section 1, the business case for sustainable procurement, provides a threepage business case covering key elements such as benefits, drivers, barriers and implementation principles. The numbers weve discussed are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes the business case for sustainability. The functioned print feature is printing the swf pages but not the real pdf pages, in this case it is suggested to download the pdf instead of printing swf pages so that you can get the best layout from original pdf. The business for 2030 initiative highlights that the scale and ambition of the 2030 development agenda creates a tremendous opportunity for the private sector to demonstrate the central role it plays in sustainable development and human prosperity and to serve as an essential partner to bridging the. Business case of sustainability the world bank governance design inclusion 10 principles for sustainable.
Managing the business case for sustainability request pdf. The business case for sustainability macquarie university. As a contrast, this paper argues that business model innovations may be required to support a systematic, ongoing creation of business cases for sustainability. Ninetytwo percent of survey respondents said that their company was addressing sustainability in some way. The business case for sustainability on behalf of cpa australia and the macquarie international governance and performance research centre igap, i would like to invite you to attend a roundtable discussion with professor stefan schaltegger to address the topic the business case for sustainability.
Read online business case studies in sustainability practices book pdf free download link book now. The business benefits of using sustainability standards. All books are in clear copy here, and all files are secure so dont worry about it. The latter was included in order to include articles on sustainability in the public sector, but the results were in fact limited in this area.
Making the business case for environmental sustainability. In 2010, the academic advisory committee for the office of sustainability. Development goals sdgs in 2015 now guide the worlds approach to sustainable development. Search terms included both business sustainability and organizational sustainability. The center for sustainable business has identified a comprehensive list of benefits driving positive financial performance that we believe result from embedding sustainability into the core business strategy. From increasing demand for natural resources to economic disparity to climate change, companies are facing a more complex array of trade offs and risks across. The sustainable business case book table of contents.
Corporate responsibility or sustainability is therefore a prominent fea ture of the business and society literature, addressing topics of business ethics, corporate social performance, global corporate citizenship, and stakeholder management. Business case studies in sustainability practices pdf book. The business case for purpose 1 businesses face an accelerated pace of change as digitalization, disruptive business, and rapidly changing consumer expectations reshape their world. It can be an important part of an overall business strategy. The business case for sustainability is also connected to improved reputation and brand value. Whether managing downside risk, creating business value by incorporating sustainable solutions, or identifying innovative ways to finance sustainability, the private sector is becoming the engine of competitive solutions to sustainability and can help finance and address sustainability challenges in the years ahead. The business case for corporate social responsibility. One way of understanding what a suitable business case might entail is to compare the case for corporate sustainability to another significant trend in corporate practice. Before you actually start working on the project, you need to have a case template ready with you. Sep 20, 20 finding the business case for sustainability. Gallen, switzerland 2 insead, fontainebleau, france the article is intended as a contribution to the ongoing conceptual development of corporate sustainability. The business case 2 risk mitigation the business case for sustainability 26. Business case and sustainability assessment for each of the shortlisted schemes. Hoping to alleviate their concerns, this article also provides concrete examples of how sustainability benefits the bottom line.
Download business case studies in sustainability practices book pdf free download link or read online here in pdf. Making the business case for environmental sustainability rebecca henderson, harvard business school september 30, 2014 can a business case be made for acting sustainably. Business and the united nations sustainable development goals fund in partnership with. For instance, lets say that you have been assigned a particular project at your office or business. Finding the business case for sustainability guardian. Understanding of the critical indicators that organizations should focus on has evolved considerably. Business case analysis traditionally works with two sets of indicatorssustainability actions on the input side and indicators of financial performance on the output sideto prove causality or a positive correlation. Business case studies in sustainability practices by sheri l. As the receiver of these materials you are granted a limited license to use display or print the materials, provided the materials are not modified. For most, the concept remains abstract and theoretical. Making the business case for environmental sustainability working. The model itself will be made available as an ms excel file as an accompaniment to this. The sustainability business case for the 21st century.
This is the table of contents for the book sustainable business cases. This is a difficult question to answer precisely, largely because there is no generally accepted definition of the term sustainability. The business case for precompetitive collaboration is a case for change at scale that would not be possible for individual companies, and which would take the market far longer to achieve without collaboration. The business case for sustainability evidence that tourism businesses in protected areas perform best when they also implement sustainability actions e europarc federation, september 2011. The business case for environmental and sustainability employee education national environmental education foundation 2 while our primary focus is on environmental education, some companies include the environment as part of a broader sustainability or corporate social responsibility agenda. Unpacking the business case for sustainability s u m a s.