The New Sustainability Advantage

by Willard, Bob

• ISBN13: 9780865717121
• ISBN10: 0865717125
• Edition: 10th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-10
• Publisher: New Society Pub

Summary

The New Sustainability Advantageshows how the benefits of the "triple bottom line" can increase a typical company's profits by fifty-one to eighty-one percent within five years, depending on the company's size and industry sector, while avoiding risks that could jeopardize its financial well-being. Fully revised and updated, this tenth anniversary edition clearly demonstrates that, by focusing on seven powerful yet easy to grasp sustainability strategies, businesses can: Increase revenue Improve productivity Reduce expenses Decrease risks Expressed in clear business language and presented in an appealing, graphically rich format, this practical guide and the accompanying online Sustainability Advantage Simulator Dashboard enables executives to enter their own data and quickly identify the high-leverage benefit areas for their organization. More detailed downloadable spreadsheets help them drill down into specific areas of interest and fine-tune the assumptions to their specific situation. An indispensable tool for both sustainability champions and senior management, The New Sustainability Advantageproves that the quantified business case for sustainability is more compelling than ever before. Bob Willardgave up an award-winning successful career in senior management at IBM to devote himself full-time to building corporate commitment to sustainability. Widely in demand as a speaker, he has delivered hundreds of presentations demonstrating the business case for sustainability to companies, consultants, academics, and NGOs worldwide. Bob is the author of The Sustainability Champion's Guidebook, The Next Sustainability Wave, and the original edition of The Sustainability Advantage.

Author Biography

Bob Willard gave up an award-winning, successful career in senior management at IBM to devote himself full-time to building corporate commitment to sustainability. He has delivered hundreds of presentations worldwide demonstrating the business case for sustainability and was recently appointed an inaugural member of the Sustainability Hall of Fame by the International Society of Sustainability Professionals. Bob is the author of The Sustainability Champion's Guidebook, The Next Sustainability Wave, and the original edition of The Sustainability Advantage.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xv
Preface to the Second Edition	p. xvi
Preface	p. xviii
Introduction	p. 1
Sustainability Strategies Are Smart Business Strategies	p. 2
The Premise	p. 4
Definitions, Terminology, and Frameworks	p. 6
Definitions of a Sustainable Society	p. 8
Snorkeling in the Terminology Swamp	p. 10
Our Unsustainable Take-Make-Waste Business Model	p. 12
Elephant #1 in the Board Room: Growth	p. 14
Elephant #2 in the Board Room: Overconsumption	p. 16
A Sustainable Borrow-Use-Return Business Model	p. 18
The Five-Stage Sustainability Journey to a Sustainable Enterprise	p. 20
Stages 4 and 5: Similar Behaviors, Different Motivations	p. 22
The Four-Step Transformation from Stage 3 to Stage 4	p. 24
The Need for a Relevant, Aligned Business Case	p. 26
Aligned with Existing Business Priorities	p. 28
Aligned with the Standard Value Chain Framework	p. 30
Aligned with the Income Statement Framework	p. 32
Possibilities for Two Typical Companies	p. 34
Increased Revenue and Market Share	p. 37
Revving-Up Revenue	p. 38
More B2C and B2B Revenue from a More Sustainable Brand	p. 40
New Revenue from New Green Products	p. 42
New Revenue from Services and Leasing	p. 44
Potential Top-Line Totals	p. 46
Reduced Energy Expenses	p. 49
The Lowest-Hanging Fruit	p. 50
Saving Energy in Buildings: An Inside Job	p. 52
Computing Energy Savings in IT	p. 54
Driving Energy Savings in Transportation	p. 56
Renewing Energy Savings with Substitutions	p. 58
The Secret Sauce of Eco-Efficiency Savings: Engaged Employees	p. 60
Potential Energy Expense Savings	p. 62
Reduced Waste Expenses	p. 65
In Bed with Embedded Waste	p. 66
Tim Four-Factor Formula for the Full Cost of Waste	p. 68
Company Efforts to Avoid Waste	p. 70
Bonus: Revenue from Selling Waste	p. 72
Potential Waste Savings Help Build a Sustainability Capital Reserve	p. 74
Reduced Materials and Water Expenses	p. 77
Saving Natural Capital Saves Financial Capital	p. 78
Savings from Dematerialization	p. 80
Savings from Substitutions	p. 82
Savings from Recycling and Reusing Onsite Waste	p. 84
Savings from Product Take-Back/Closed-Loop Systems	p. 86
Savings on Water	p. 88
Savings on Consumables and Paper	p. 90
Potential Materials Savings Help Build a Sustainability Capital Reserve	p. 92
Increased Employee Productivity	p. 95
Purpose Powers Performance	p. 96
Engagement Drives Business Results	p. 98
Engagement Enables Productivity and Innovation	p. 100
CSR Programs Promote Productivity and Engagement	p. 102
Volunteerism Vaults Employee Engagement and Productivity	p. 104
Increased Productivity from Reduced Absenteeism	p. 106
Increased Productivity from More Telecommuting and Less Travel	p. 108
Increased Productivity from Green Buildings	p. 110
Increased Productivity and Innovation from Improved Collaboration	p. 112
Increased Productivity and Innovation from Higher Engagement	p. 114
Potential Increased Employee Productivity and Innovation	p. 116
Reduced Hiring and Attrition Expenses	p. 119
The War for Talent Still Rages	p. 120
A Sustainable Enterprise Is a Talent Magnet	p. 122
Paying the Price for Voluntary Turnover	p. 124
Reduced Risks	p. 127
Standard Two-Part Business Case	p. 128
Four Categories of Risk	p. 130
Mitigating Strategic Risks That Could Erode Revenue	p. 132
Risk to Revenue from Poor Reputation on Energy and Carbon Management	p. 134
Risk to Revenue from Poor Reputation on Water Management	p. 136
Risk to Revenue from Poor Reputation on Materials and Waste Management	p. 138
Risk to Revenue from Poor Reputations of Suppliers or Customers	p. 140
Risk to Revenue from Poof Reputation on Ecosystem Damages	p. 142
Risk to Revenue from Less Competitive Prices	p. 144
Risk to Revenue from Sudden Disruptions in the Value Chain	p. 146
Mitigating Operational Risk That Could Increase Expenses	p. 148
Risk of Higher Cost of Energy	p. 150
Risk of a Price on Carbon	p. 152
Risk of Increased Cost of Waste	p. 154
Risk of Higher Cost of Water and Materials	p. 156
Risk of Higher Cost of Capital	p. 158
Risk of Higher Voluntary Turnover and Lower Employee Productivity	p. 160
Mitigating Compliance Risk	p. 162
Mitigating Financial/Stock Price Risk	p. 164
Potential Burning Platform of Risks	p. 166
Conclusion	p. 169
Potential Bottom-Line Benefits for M&D Corp	p. 170
Potential Bottom-Line Benefits for Sam's Solutions	p. 172
What's In It for Me (WII-FM)?	p. 174
What about the Costs?	p. 176
Why the Business Case Is Hopeless	p. 178
Why the Business Case Is the Perfect Path to the Tipping Point	p. 180
Notes	p. 183
Index	p. 193
About the Author	p. 203
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