Today the vast majority of companies cite climate change as a significant priority and pledges for carbon neutrality are mushrooming both at the industry and company level.Â
But take a look at these facts: in 2016, 90% of executives saw sustainability as necessary, but only 60% of companies had a sustainability strategy, and only 25% had developed a clear business case for their sustainability efforts.Â
Five years later, of companies committed to carbon neutrality, how many have a clear business case? Without one, their well-meant ambitions will flounder. With one, sustainability is transformed from an earnest but unfocused exercise in corporate social responsibility to business momentum. Â
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The business case is key to scale change
Think about your own boardroom: when sustainability initiatives yield extra profits, the trade-off between doing well and doing good disappears, and management, financial sponsors and customers will happily join forces to push the…