The guide to sustainable strategies and tools to improve competitive business advantage, updated with practical case studies and supporting teaching material
The revised and updated second edition of Practical Sustainability Strategies is filled with proven strategies and tools for organizations to integrate sustainability into their business models. Drawing on the authors’ research and years of hands-on experience, the book defines strategies that organizations can put in place to develop, extend, or maintain competitive advantage without harming the environment. Additionally, the authors provide tools for measuring and reporting progress and present illustrative case studies that clearly demonstrate the importance of implementing sustainability.
Since the first edition was published in 2013, new strategies, measurements, and certifications have been developed. The book, which is used by several business schools around the globe, has been updated to include these new and effective strategies, including circular economy, the sharing economy, adaptation, resiliency, and strategies to fight climate change. This new edition also highlights the UN Sustainable Development Goals that have been adopted worldwide. This updated second edition:
- Covers new strategies, measuring systems, GRI, STARS and B-Lab certifications
- Offers teaching slides and questions for use in the classroom
- Explores the principles and importance of sustainability
- Examines more than 10 different sustainability strategies
- Presents the economic justification for sustainability with illustrative examples
Written for sustainability managers, ESG professionals, engineers, process designers, policy makers, CEOs, business schools, and others, the second edition of Practical Sustainability Strategies offers an updated guide to the most recent strategies and tools that can be put into place to improve competitive advantage, while also providing a positive impact to the community and workplace.
Table of Contents
Preface of George P. Nassos xvii
Preface of Nikos Avlonas xxi
About The Companion Website xxiii
Part I Introduction to Sustainability 1
1. Urgency to Adopt Sustainability 3
Creation of the Environment 4
Exceeding the Ecological Footprint 5
The Limits to Growth 7
Consumption Factor 9
Conservation of Water 10
The Depletion of Fossil Fuels 12
Climate Change 13
Population Growth 15
The Environment’s Big Four 16
References 16
2. Development of the Sustainability Concept and CSR 19
CSR Today: From Shareholder Value to Stakeholder Value 21
CSR Measuring and Reporting 23
The Sustainable Development Concept Thousands Years Ago 24
References 25
Part II Sustainability Strategies 27
3. Imbedding the UN Sustainable Development Goals to Achieve Sustainability 29
UN 2030 Agenda 30
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals 31
A Real Positive View of the SDGs 37
A Further Look at The SDGs 37
References 38
4. The Natural Step 41
The Four System Conditions for Sustainability 44
System Condition 1 - Substances from the Earth’s Crust Must Not Systematically Increase in the Ecosphere 44
System Condition 2 - Substances Produced by Society Must Not Systematically Increase in the Ecosphere 45
System Condition 3 - The Physical Basis for Productivity and Diversity of Nature Must Not Be Systematically Diminished 46
System Condition 4 - There Must Be Fair and Efficient Use of Resources with Respect to Meeting Human Needs 46
Scientific Rationale for the Natural Step 47
The Natural Step Recent Projects 48
Interface - The First Company to Adopt the Natural Step 48
VinylPlus - The European PVC Industry’s Voluntary Commitment to Sustainable Development 50
Dow Measures Up 52
Nike’s Core Values 53
Pratt and Whitney Canada’s Sustainability Journey 54
The Circular Economy 55
References 55
5. Eco-Effective Versus Eco-Efficient: Sustainability Versus Being “Less Bad” 57
Fuel Efficiency 58
Computing Efficiency 59
More Durable Brake Pads 60
Increase Polymer Recycling 61
Reduced Sewage Effluent 61
More Efficient Clocks 62
Cradle To Cradle 63
Do Not Take it to the Extreme 66
References 66
6. Servicizing and the Sharing Economy 67
Sell Illumination 69
Sell A Painted Car 70
Sell Floor Comfort and Esthetics 70
Sell Water Treatment Services 71
The Evolution of the Sharing Economy 72
Collaborative Consumption 73
Class Final Projects 74
Medication Delivery 75
Refill Perfume Shop 75
Luggage 75
Home Improvement Paint 76
Nutrient Services 76
Baby Mattresses 76
Seat-Go-Round 77
Bike Helmets 77
Q Card for Better Transportation 77
References 78
7. Adopting Systems Thinking 81
System Elements 82
System Interconnections 82
System Function or Purpose 83
Tunneling Through the Cost Barrier 84
Interface Pipe Design 85
Reducing Oil Imports 87
Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions 88
Illegal Immigration 88
Sailboat Design 89
References 90
8. Base of the Pyramid 91
The Great Leap Downward 92
Electrify the Bottom of the Pyramid 95
Hindustan Lever and Nirma 96
BOP Protocol 97
Initiatives by the World Resources Institute 98
Developing the Bottom of the Pyramid 99
Is the Base of the Pyramid a Mirage? 101
References 102
9. Environmental Innovation Through Biomimicry 103
Abalone 104
Spider Silk 105
Bivalves 106
Rhinoceros 107
Fish-Inspired Travel 108
Cheetahs 109
Compact and Efficient Structure 111
Ethanol 113
Color from Structure Rather than Pigments 115
Cricket Sounds 116
Bio-inspired LEDs 117
Lessons from Lavasa 118
Owl Wings Inspire Wind Turbine Blade Design 118
Shaving Razors Inspired by Frog and Cricket Legs 119
Additional Technologies Inspired by Biomimicry 120
Mindful Mining: A Proposal 122
Introduction 122
Business as Usual 123
Business Unusual: Proposed Business Model 123
References 124
10. The Need and Growth of a Circular Economy 127
Kalundborg Symbiosis 128
Earlier Model 129
Terracycle Introduces “LOOP” 130
Designing for the Circular Economy 131
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation 131
Quantity of Waste for the Circular Economy 134
Personal Note 134
References 136
Additional Case Studies 136
11. Addressing Climate Change 137
Energy: Wind Turbines (Onshore) 139
Energy: Solar Farms 140
Materials: Refrigeration 141
Materials: Alternative Cement 142
Food: Reduced Food Waste 142
Food: Plant-Rich Diet 143
Women and Girls: Educating Girls and Family Planning 144
Buildings and Cities: District Heating 145
Buildings and Cities: Insulation 146
Land Use: Tropical Forests 147
Land Use: Temperate Forests 148
Transport: Electric Vehicles 149
Transport: Ships 150
Top 20 Solutions 151
Coming Attractions 152
References 152
12. Adapting and Building Resilience to Climate Change 155
Interconnectedness of Climate Risks in a Globalized World 156
Large-Scale Climatic Shifts 157
Building Resilience 158
Case Study: Mining Company 158
Case Study: Extractives Sector Partners with Government and Communities to Fight Malaria in Mozambique 159
The Strategy Development Process 160
References 162
13. Emergent Technologies for Adaptation 163
No Poverty and Innovation 164
Zero Hunger and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Platforms 165
Good Health, Wellbeing, and Virtual Reality 166
Quality Education, Mixed Realities, and 5G 167
Gender Equality and Mobile Technologies 168
Clean Water Nanotechnology - Sanitation and Smart Cities 168
Affordable Clean Energy and Biofuels 169
Decent Work, Economic Growth, and Future Technologies 169
Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure, Drones, Augmented Reality, and Smart Cities 170
Reducing Inequalities 171
Sustainable Cities and Communities, IoT, and Smart Cities 171
Responsible Consumption and Production 172
Climate Action - Life Below Water - Life on Land 173
Peace, Justice, Strong Institutions, and New Technological Challenges 173
References 173
14. The Circular Economy Through Energy Recovery 177
Understanding Waste Management 177
Waste-to-Energy Systems 180
Incineration 180
Combined Heat and Power (Cogeneration) 181
Combined Heat, Power, and Cooling (Trigeneration) 182
Pyrolysis 183
Gasification 183
Anaerobic Digestion 184
The Challenges of Waste-to-Energy Initiatives 185
The Future of Waste-to-Energy Initiatives 185
References 186
15. Environmentally Effective Buildings 187
Net-Zero Energy Buildings 194
LEED Project Certification Process 195
LEED Accredited Professional 196
Living Building Challenge 197
World’s Greenest Building 199
The WELL Building Standard 201
BREEAM 202
Other Building Certifications 202
References 203
16. Green Chemistry, Nanotechnology, and “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” 205
Green Chemistry 205
Nanotechnology 209
“Big Hairy Audacious Goal” 213
Washing Machines 214
Toilets 214
Urban Farming 215
Case Study 218
References 218
17. Sustainable Strategies and Beyond 219
Part III Practical Tools and Guidelines 223
18. Standards and Guidelines for Managing Sustainability (CSR) 225
Need for a Sustainable Strategy 225
Managing Sustainability and Standards 226
Case Study on Sustainable Strategy 228
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Stakeholders 229
GRI Interpretations of Stakeholder Engagement 230
The Stakeholder Reporting Process 230
GRI Tests for Stakeholder Inclusiveness 231
Presentation of Reported Stakeholder Discussions 231
ISO 26000 Framework 233
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) 234
Case Study: BMO Financial Group - 2017 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report and Public Accountability Statement 235
Report Extract 235
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) 238
International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) 238
Corporate Sustainability Trends 238
Issues for Learning and Discussion 240
References 241
19. The Corporation and its Stakeholders 243
Examining the Stakeholder Concept 243
Stakeholders: Definition - Primary and Secondary Stakeholders 244
Case Study: Campbell Soup Company - 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report Extract 245
Stakeholder Engagement 245
Stakeholder Relations and Attributes - Power, Legitimacy, Urgency 248
Case Study: TD - 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report Extract 248
Stakeholder Engagement 248
Balancing Stakeholders’ Expectations 250
Case Study: Hess Corporation - 2017 Sustainability Report Extract 251
Stakeholder Engagement 251
Stakeholder Engagement Process 251
External Stakeholders 252
Materiality Assessment 252
Case Study: Campbell Soup Company - 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report Extract 256
Materiality Assessment 256
Benefits from the Corporation’s Responsible Behavior: The Sustainability (CSR) Debate 257
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Debate 259
Issues for Learning and Discussion 259
References 260
20. Sustainability (CSR or ESG) Reporting 261
Sustainability (CSR or ESG) Reporting 261
Context of Reports 261
Changes Over the Years 262
Hess Corporation 2017 Sustainability Report 263
Approach to Reporting 263
Reporting Standards 263
Materiality 263
Boundary Setting 264
Restatements 265
Assurance 265
Requests for Information 265
Johnson & Johnson 2017 Health for Humanity Report 266
About this Report 266
B Corporation 267
Sustainability in the Supply Chain 267
Sustainability Reports and Impact Investments 268
Sustainability and ESG Ratings 269
Case Study: Marks and Spencer Plan a Report 2018, Plan a 2025 and our Strategy - Helping to Make M&S Special Again 270
Transformation Timeframe 270
References 273
21. Sustainability Metrics for Improving Impact 275
Metrics in the GRI Guidelines 276
Case Study: ABM 2017 Corporate Sustainability Report 276
102-49 - Changes in Reporting 276
102-50 - Reporting Period 276
102-51 - Date of Most Recent Report 276
102-52 - Reporting Cycle 277
102-53 - Contact Point for Questions Regarding the Report 277
102-54 - Claims of Reporting in Accordance with the GRI Standards 277
102-56 - External Assurance 277
GRI INDEX 277
ISO 26000 282
Ecological Footprint 282
Metrics for Carbon Footprint 283
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) 284
Balanced Scorecard 285
How Metrics of Sustainability Can be Used (e.g., Assessments, Audits) 285
Case Study: The Hartford - 2016 Sustainability Report 286
Communities and Giving 286
Diversity and Inclusion 287
Ethics and Governance 287
Environmental Stewardship 288
Stakeholder Metrics and Sustainability 288
Issues for Learning and Discussion 289
References 290
22. Life Cycle Analysis and Carbon Footprint Reduction 291
World Population and Energy Consumption 291
Energy Consumption and Global Warming 291
Climate Change and Carbon Footprint 292
Carbon Emissions and Carbon Footprint 293
LCA and Measuring Carbon Footprint 294
Greenhouse Gas Protocol (WRI) 295
LCA and Product Labels 295
Cases for Carbon Footprint 297
Carbon Offset and the Gold Standard 299
Carbon-Offset-Projects: India, Clean Biogas for 7000 Families 300
Issues for Learning and Discussion 300
References 301
23. Water Footprint 303
Overview 303
Guidelines for Measuring the Water Footprint 304
Water Footprint and LCA 306
Case Study: Coca-Cola Company 307
Replenishing the Water Used 307
Improving Water-Use Efficiency and Reuse in Bottling Plants 308
Water in Agriculture 308
Engaging in Water Policy Reform 308
Nestle 309
Water Footprint Versus Carbon Footprint 310
Issues for Learning and Discussion 311
References 311
24. Green Marketing and Communication and How to Avoid Green and Blue Washing 313
Green Communication and Greenwashing 313
Green Marketing, Communications, and Sustainability 314
Green Marketing 315
Materiality and Sustainability 316
Guidelines for Green Marketing 316
Accuracy 317
Clarity 317
Sustainable Communications Strategy 320
Designing the Sustainability Communications Strategy 320
Conducting an Assessment and Defining the Challenges/Issues 321
Developing a Sustainability Communications Strategy 321
Implementing the Communications Strategy 322
Reinforcing Stakeholder Interaction 322
The Importance of Social Media 323
The Importance of the Company Website 323
Issues for Learning and Discussion 324
References 324
Part IV Conclusion 325
25. Epilogue: Where Do We Go Now? 327
References 329
Index 331
