Accelerating Sustainability Using The 80 20 Rule

Are your sustainability efforts making as much impact as they could be?With our collective way of life rubbing up against the natural limits of the planet, it does not take a genius to see that it is time to scrape the mud off our boots and find a shorter, smarter path towards sustainability – a way to maximize our effectiveness and inspire leaps forward in sustainability, rather than incremental steps. The 80/20 rule says that, in many situations, a small number of inputs determine the vast majority of our desired results. If we identify these “vital few” inputs in our sustainability efforts, and focus on them, we can maximize our effectiveness and accelerate progress rapidly. This book will help you to think about sustainability from an 80/20 perspective with practical applications for: product and service development; supply chains; materiality, indicators and quantitative analysis; waste, energy efficiency, water conservation and transport; employee engagement and sustainability strategy. If you want to focus on what works, deliver better results, waste less time on “switch it off” stickers and ineffective “standard practice” and start making a real difference, then this book is for you!

Storytelling is an ancient practice and a priceless skill. For sustainability practitioners who want to be more strategic and have more influence in shaping a better world, it is a crucial skill to master. In this DōShort, veteran sustainability strategist and storyteller Jeff Leinaweaver shows you which ways of storytelling 'transmit resonance' and lead to success and which lead to failure. You will learn techniques for using storytelling to attract attention and get better results, whether you are communicating statistics and priorities, advocating for change, organizing stakeholders, or building an authentic brand and community. Storytelling for Sustainability offers a comprehensive primer on storytelling and a range of insights and practical exercises, including: the failure of the sustainability story, discovering your passionate fact, your convenience story, reverse storyboarding, and ehat’s my storyline?

Companies that will succeed in the long-term are integrating natural and social capital into their business model now. Natural capital, the resources and critical support services nature provides, underpins our entire global economy. Yet despite its vast social and economic value, the many benefits of natural capital are often assumed to be 'free'. The future shock for business is the potential for profit to be wiped out as natural capital is internalized through regulation and markets. Freshwater, forests and biodiversity are being consumed at an alarming rate, and critical support systems such as the ability to regulate climate are failing. As these and other sustainability challenges develop, businesses and their investors need to understand their role in maintaining natural capital and their natural capital risks and opportunities. The language of finance provides a useful approach for communicating trade-offs and prioritizing sustainability at CFO, CEO and board level: companies who 'future-proof' now will position themselves to thrive in a resource-constrained world. They will mitigate risk, secure their resource supplies, create long-term value and enhance their resilience, reputation and competitive advantage. This book provides a succinct introduction to natural capital: what natural capital is and how it links to other capitals; the business case for using it in decision-making; where natural capital accounting and valuation fit in the sustainability and financial toolbox; and what real life early adopters of natural capital in business are doing. Views from natural capital leaders across business, finance, accounting, government, research and NGO communities illustrate the theory with practice. Included: Quotes and case examples from CFOs, CEOs and Heads of Sustainability in early adopter businesses (Kingfisher Group, Dow Chemical Company, The Crown Estate, Patagonia®, United Utilities and Marks & Spencer) and financial institutions (Inter-American Development Bank, Citi Group and Credit Suisse).

Providing food, clean water and energy for a growing population is one of the greatest challenges facing public and private sector professionals. While there is widespread recognition of the complex feedback loops between energy, water and food, there has been less focus on viable solutions. This guide by Will Sarni – an internationally recognized thought leader on corporate water stewardship and water tech innovation – frames the key issues and challenges for business professionals, and then outlines emerging solutions which include both "soft path" and technology innovation approaches. The book includes case examples of multinational companies who are abandoning business as usual and moving beyond traditional thinking. It also highlights crucial new partnerships or 'collective action initiatives' where NGOs, multinationals and the public sector come together to forge practical solutions to meet the needs of their stakeholders. Solutions to the energy–water–food nexus will need to be disruptive, not incremental, and will require technology innovation, new public-private partnerships, and changes in public policy. Beyond the Energy–Food–Water Nexus shows organizations how they can play their part in improving the quality of life for an urbanized global population while preserving the ecosystems that sustain us all.

For companies, unethical business practices like bribery and corruption pose major business risks, and can result in fines, reputational damage, lost business opportunity and -- increasingly -- criminal or civil charges. Organisations have responded to this critical governance issue with rigorous formal integrity and compliance frameworks, to set out and enforce standards for ethical business practice. But companies also need to create an enduring culture of integrity that establishes doing the right thing as the cultural norm across the organisation -- and this requires more than compliance alone. 'Creating a Culture of Integrity' identifies the key actions sustainability and compliance officers can take to foster this cultural shift within their organisations. This 'one-stop' toolkit for embedding integrity also includes: 1) Inspiring best-practice case studies from companies who’ve implemented culture change, with insights on how they deal with ethical dilemmas when these arise and 2) Powerful arguments to help you make the business case for building a strong ethical culture around your compliance system.

Analyses voluntary programs for sustainable buildings and cities, a prominent strategy to mitigate climate change.

As business risks associated with water intensify -- for example risks to operations, supply chains and reputation -- many corporate sustainability professionals are seeking practical tools to help them understand and assess these risks. Water Footprint Assessment tools developed primarily by the research sector are gaining attention in this context. However, there is debate among experts and non-experts about the merits of this approach. Water Footprint Assessment: A Business Guide is a concise and comprehensive digest of emerging concepts, tools and arguments around water footprint approaches. Specifically aimed at business audiences, this definitive short guide to the issues distils the latest in scientific and policy literature, helps sustainability leaders understand what they can, and can’t, do with water footprint tools, includes practical experience and case studies and outlines the pros and cons of using Water Footprint Assessment and similar approaches.

The issue of sustainability is characterised as a ‘wicked problem’ in the fashion, clothing and textiles sector and is now coming into increased focus due to growing consumer, business and policy pressures. This in-depth volume presents a comprehensive overview of the challenges and emerging opportunities faced by the sector, and provides strategic solutions as to how the sector can substantially accelerate sustainability. This book collates research and industry best practice to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ exploring the complex and interconnected issues surrounding sustainability in fashion, clothing and textiles. The practical and digestible chapters include innovative examples and perspectives from different regions of the globe, addressing topics from policies to supply chain issues and materials innovation. Five unique case studies of sustainable businesses provide detailed examples of pioneering practice. Edited by three professionals with long-standing knowledge and expertise, the book takes a global perspective with examples that illustrate the scale and breadth of topics and regions in the scope of sustainability. This holistic approach brings together both academic and industry perspectives on the critical areas that require immediate action to move towards a more sustainable fashion, clothing and textile sector. This is an invaluable resource for those working in the industry, policymakers and for those in business or academia with an interest in sustainability in fashion, clothing, textiles and related sectors worldwide. It is also relevant to professionals and students in the areas of sustainability, innovation, supply chains, design and development, consultancy, education and training.