Integrating Sustainability into Core Business

Abstract

Today, more than ever, people involved in defining corporate strategies must be able to build a solid structure on which they can rely to protect and develop their business assets and to ensure their organization a long lasting future. In order to sustain a long lasting and successful business, there is a growing need to integrate sustainability as a driver, as a primary premise in determining business strategies. Thus, sustainability is not a separate process or an add-on to the corporate company strategy; it is integrated into the long-term strategies, business policies and objectives, and incorporated into operational processes and procedures. In this way, companies can shape their strategy and operations to address change, meeting expectations and needs that arise from all stakeholders while at the same time increasing competitiveness and sustaining profitability. DNV GL and EY, supported by GFK Eurisko, have tried to investigate the maturity of this approach.