Abstract
This chapter will provide a framework for the development of a sustainability strategy within an organisation. It is recommended that a compelling case for change is built. Once this is established, (and bought into) the business can define its ambition and focus on the steps necessary to achieve it. The theoretical lens of the strategist is applied throughout, with core strategic principles and frameworks applied to developing a sustainability strategy; however, this chapter will not evaluate the moral obligation of engaging with sustainability, nor take an ethical stance. Corporate sustainability can be considered, if harnessed correctly, as a potential strategic asset, and this chapter will endeavour to highlight that the successful development of a corporate sustainability strategy could significantly contribute to an organisation’s long-term competitiveness. The process described in this chapter reflects both relevant theory and the practical experience of the author. It is recommended that all stages of the framework are followed. At each stage, relevant tools to employ are suggested; one can follow the recommendations or indeed make use of alternatives.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Imperial College Business School or its affiliates.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bartels, W. (2014). Sustainable Insight. The essentials of materiality assessment. KPMG International. Retrieved 20, Nov 2019, from https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2014/10/materiality-assessment.pdf.
Best, E., & Mitchell, N. (2018). Millennials, Gen Z, and the future of Sustainability. BSR 24th October 2018. Retrieved 15, Aug 2019, from https://www.bsr.org/en/our-insights/blog-view/millennials-generation-z-future-of-sustainable-business.
Blasco, J. L., & King, A. (2017). The Road Ahead: The KPMG Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting 2017. KPMG. Retrieved 1, Nov 2019, from https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2017/10/kpmg-survey-of-corporate-responsibility-reporting-2017.pdf.
Chandler, D., & Werther, W. B. (2014). Strategic corporate social responsibility: stakeholders, globalization, and sustainable value creation (3rd ed.). London: Sage Publications.
Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1st September 1996). Build Your Company’s Vision. Harvard Business Review.
Davis-Peccoud, J. (2013). Sustainability matters in the battle for talent. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 25, Oct 2019, from https://hbr.org/2013/05/sustainability-matters-in-the.
Deloitte. (2019). The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2019. Societal discord and technological transformation create a ‘generation disrupted’. Retrieved 22, July 2019, from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/deloitte-2019-millennial-survey.pdf.
Eccles, R. G., Miller Perkins, K., & Serafeim, G. (2012). How to become a sustainable company. MIT Sloan Management Review 53(4).
Eccles, R. G., & Klimenko, S. (May-June 2019). The Investor Revolution. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 12, April 2020, from https://hbr.org/2019/05/the-investor-revolution.
Elkington, J. (1997). Cannibals with forks: the triple bottom line of 21st century business. Capstone: Austin.
Elkington, J. (25th June 2018). 25 years ago I coined the phrase “triple bottom line.” Here’s why it’s time to rethink it. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 15, Sep 2019, from https://hbr.org/2018/06/25-years-ago-i-coined-the-phrase-triple-bottom-line-heres-why-im-giving-up-on-it.
Epstein, M. J., & Buhovac, A. R. (2014) Making sustainability work. Best practice in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental, and economic impacts. Second edition. Greenleaf, New York.
Epstein, M. J., & Buhovac, A. R. (2010). Solving the sustainability implementation challenge. Organizational Dynamics, 34(4), 306–315.
Esty, D. C., & Winston, A. S. (2009). Green to gold: how smart companies use environmental strategy to innovate, create value, and build competitive advantage. New Jersey: Yale University Press.
European Commission. (2019). Non-financial reporting. Retrieved 20, Oct 2019, from https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/company-reporting-and-auditing/company-reporting/non-financial-reporting_en.
EY. (29 August 2018). How an integrated sustainability strategy can help you stand out. Retrieved 1, Sep 2019, from https://www.ey.com/en_gl/assurance/how-an-integrated-sustainability-strategy-can-help-you-stand-out.
Formentini, M., & Taticchi, P. (2015). Corporate sustainability approaches and governance mechanisms in sustainable supply chain management. Journal of Cleaner Production.
GRI. (2019). Retrieved 27, Sep 2019, from https://www.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx.
Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (1st January 2019) Corporate Sustainability: A Strategy?.
Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper No. 19– 065 Retrieved 25, July 2019, from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3312191.
Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2019) Yes, sustainability can be a strategy. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 30, June 2019, from https://hbr.org/2019/02/yes-sustainability-can-be-a-strategy.
Keller, S., & Meaney, M. (2017). Attracting and retaining the right talent. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved 20, Oct 2019, from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/attracting-and-retaining-the-right-talent.
Kiron, D., Unruh, G., Kruschwitz, N., Reeves, M., Rubel, H., & Meyer Zum Felde, A. (2017). Corporate sustainability at a crossroads: Progress toward our common future in uncertain times. MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved 20, July 2019, from https://sloanreview.mit.edu/projects/corporate-sustainability-at-a-crossroads/.
Kotter, J. P. (March-April 1995). Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 3,Nov 2019, from http://www.mcrhrdi.gov.in/91fc/coursematerial/management/20%20Leading%20Change%20-%20Why%20Transformation%20Efforts%20Fail%20by%20JP%20Kotter.pdf.
Krause, D. R., Vachon, S., & Klassen, R. D. (2009). Special topic forum on sustainable supply chain management: Introduction and reflection on the role of purchasing management. Journal of Supply Chain Management 45: 18–25. Retrieved 12, April 2019, from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-493X.2009.03173.x.
Laszlo, C., & Zhexembayeva, N. (2011). Embedded sustainability, the next big competitive advantage. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing.
Lechler, S., Canzaniello, A., & Wetzstein, A. et al. (2019). Influence of different stakeholders on first-tier suppliers’ sustainable supplier selection: insights from a multiple case study in the automotive first-tier industry. Bus Res. Retrieved 12, April 2020, from https://doi.org/10.1007/s40685-019-00103-y.
McKinsey & Company. (2017). Sustainability’s deepening imprint. Retrieved 30, Oct 2019, from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/sustainabilitys-deepening-imprint.
Mackenzie, I. (2018.) Strategy lecture notes, Imperial Collage Business School, delivered 1st September 2018.
Mellery-Pratt, R., & Soar, S. (2019). The truth about Gen-Z and Millennial Fashion employees. The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 24, Oct 2019, from https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/careers/millennial-gen-z-employees-fashion-survey-bof-careers-white-paper.
Niemtzow, E. (2018). Disrupting luxury: creating resilient businesses in times of rapid change. BSR. Retrieved 18, July 2019, from https://www.bsr.org/en/our-insights/report-view/disrupting-luxury-creating-resilient-businesses-in-times-of-rapid-change.
NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business. (2019). CSB ROSI Methodology. Retrieved 4, July 2019, from https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/about/departments-centers-initiatives/centers-of-research/center-sustainable-business/research/csb-monetization-methodology.
Orsato, R. J. (2009). Sustainability strategies, when does it pay to be green?. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2006). Strategy and society: the link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 30, June 2019, from https://www.comfama.com/contenidos/servicios/Gerenciasocial/html/Cursos/Columbia/Lecturas/Strategy-Society.pdf.
Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (January-February 2011). Creating Shared Value. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 15, July from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.iclibezp1.cc.ic.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=c52062c3-1513-428d-b518-a786217e1252%40sessionmgr4006.
Rasche, A. (2019). Interviewed by: Taylor, S. (9th September 2019).
Schaltegger, S., & Wagner, M. (2006). Managing the business case for sustainability: the integration of social, environmental and economic performance. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing.
Sherman, R. (2019). Interviewed by: Taylor, S. (7th November 2019).
Taticchi, P., Carbone, P., & Albino, V. (2013). Corporate sustainability. New York: Springer.
Taticchi, P. (2019). Sustainability and competitive advantage: Rethinking value creation, lecture notes, Imperial College Business School, delivered 7–8 and 16–17 May 2019.
Willard, B. (2012). The new sustainability advantage: seven business case benefits of a triple bottom line (10th ed.). Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.
Willard, B. Interviewed by: Taylor, S. (30th September 2019).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Taylor, S. (2021). How to Approach the Development of a Corporate Sustainability Strategy. In: Taticchi, P., Demartini, M. (eds) Corporate Sustainability in Practice. Management for Professionals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56344-8_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56344-8_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-56343-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-56344-8
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)