Partnering as Strategy

Abstract

Part II of the book addressed the directional elements of the vectoring model, starting with the statement of purpose then proceeding to discuss materialities, environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings and professional investors’ attitudes toward sustainability efforts. Part III proceeds to uncover and harness the power of various accelerators of the sustainability efforts. In other words, once you have determined a potent direction for your sustainability program, how do you provide the maximum impetus for the program, particularly in a business environment that might not welcome it with open arms? What are the secret drivers for effective execution? In this part of the book, we investigate concepts such as partnering (often one of the most underrated drivers of impact), the concept of the circular economy, innovation and finally team-building. In Chap. 9, we illustrate the importance of human capital development for generating productive relationships with various stakeholders and discuss examples of creative sustainability partnerships. We present and discuss an original checklist to help you structure potential strategic partnerships, based on the concept of MASS development, where MASS stands for more alternative sustainable solutions. To illustrate the concepts in action, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the programs initiated by Novozymes, a Danish biotechnology company that turned partnering for sustainability into a core component of its corporate strategy.