SUSTAINABILITY

"Enough, For All, Forever." is Charles Hopkins' elegant definition of sustainability. 

Over time, different catchphrases and definitions emphasized broader or narrower scopes for sustainability and how it links the physical environment and structure of society. Some examples include the Triple Bottom Line; People, Planet, Profit; or Corporate Social Responsibility.

Today, the ubiquitous framework is "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," adopted by every member of the UN General Assembly on September 25, 2015. The seventeen interdependent Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) lay out the path toward an equitable, healthy future for people everywhere.

Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17) aims to revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. The sweeping transformation needs everyone all-in, all the time to 2030 and beyond. To that end, the goal calls on governments, the private sector, civil society organizations, and people everywhere to make meaningful, collaborative efforts to achieve all the goals.

Businesses everywhere, of every size, are developing sustainability programs linked with the SDGs. The leading companies incorporate sustainability into their core business strategies and demonstrate that the approach makes good sense: they consistently outperform peers in many dimensions. Additionally, numerous studies indicate that developing innovative technologies, products, and services required to achieve the 2030 Agenda will create new economic opportunities worth trillions of dollars.

Approach:

•    Understand sustainability frameworks and best practices, including the SDGs

•    Define a strategy and tactics consistent with the organization's core purpose

•    Understand the sustainability portfolio and return-on-investment

•    Link sustainability with innovation and opportunity creation