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Book

Winning Sustainability Strategies

Finding purpose, driving innovation and executing change

By Benoit F. Leleux and Jan Van der Kaaij

298 pages

Paperback

Overview

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Overview

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Despite recent optimism and global initiatives, the implementation of corporate sustainability programs has been slow at best, with less than a third of global companies having developed a clear business case for their approach to sustainability. Presenting numerous award-winning cases and examples from companies such as Unilever, Patagonia, Tumi, DSM and Umicore alongside original ideas based upon 20 years of consulting experience, this book reveals how to design and implement a stronger sense of focus and move sustainability programs forward. This proven combination of purpose, direction and speed is dubbed “Vectoring”.

Based upon practitioner cases and data analysis from the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Vectoring offers a plain-spoken framework to identify the relative position of companies compared to their peers. The framework and its 4 archetypes deliver insights for practitioners to locate inhibitors and overcome them by providing practical suggestions for process improvements. This includes designing and executing new sustainability programs, embedding the SDGs within company strategy and assessing the impact of sustainability programs on competitiveness and valuation. Offering directions for CFOs to shift companies from integrated reporting to integrated thinking in order to accelerate their sustainability programs, Winning Sustainability Strategies shows how to achieve purpose with profit and how to do well by doing good.

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Paperback

eBook

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Publisher

Palgrave Macmillan

ISBN

9783319974446

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Case Study

Pasona: Well-being through regional revitalization

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Decathlon’s circular revolution: Scaling sustainable business models

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La Marzocco: Espresso perfection

Sustainability Entrepreneurship Growth

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Ragn-Sells: From company in crisis to circular sustainability champion

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By Florian Hoos and Valerie Keller-Birrer

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Pasona: Well-being through regional revitalization

By Alyson Meister and Naoko Jinjo
Case reference: IMD-7-2573 ©2024

Summary

Pasona Group, a Japan-based human resources company, is committed to driving social change through business and supporting individuals to find "ikigai” (fulfillment) through work. The company has promoted flexible work and equitable workplaces and created employment opportunities for minorities. Pasona now wanted to tackle the overconcentration of population and businesses in Tokyo and the related decline of rural areas; both issues raised questions of well-being and sustainability. In response, Pasona moved its headquarters from Tokyo to Awaji Island, setting up sales and back-office operations for its core business and launching the "Regional Revitalization" initiative. Employees who moved from Tokyo to Awaji said that their lives became more sustainable, and their well-being improved. On the other hand, some Tokyo-based employees chose not to relocate, worried that boundaries between work and personal life would be blurred. Pasona was also criticized for its tourism-oriented and corporate-driven approach to local development, while the local government of Awaji appreciated the increase in the population and tax revenue that Pasona had brought. As Pasona sought to expand its "regional revitalization" model throughout Japan and attract more local governments to partner with the company, it needed to rethink its strategy to develop its original model in Awaji into a more powerful showcase that would lead to a more decentralized and sustainable society while ensuring the well-being of its own employees.

Reference IMD-7-2573

Organization Pasona Group

Industry Business Management Services, Human Resources

Available Languages English

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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Social Innovation

Diversity and Equity and Inclusion

Sustainability

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Decathlon’s circular revolution: Scaling sustainable business models

By Julia Katharina Binder and Manuel Braun
Case reference: IMD-7-2599 ©2024

Summary

The case focuses on Decathlon’s journey from 2023 onwards as it seeks to scale its circular business models and transform from a successful pilot phase to large-scale industrialization. Anna Turrell, Decathlon’s chief sustainability officer, is tasked with achieving ambitious growth targets – to increase circular sales by 6 to 10 times. The case details how Decathlon approached its circularity strategy by expanding second-hand, repair, rental and recycling initiatives across its global operations. It highlights the strategic challenges Anna and her team faced in deciding where to focus their scaling efforts across regions, sports segments and business models. Key enablers of the scaling strategy, including digital transformation, reverse logistics, consumer engagement and strategic partnerships, are explored as critical factors for success. As Decathlon moved toward becoming a global leader in circularity, Anna had to overcome operational complexities and encourage consumer behavioral change while balancing financial goals with sustainability objectives. Despite the clear business potential, the challenge remained of how to scale circularity efficiently across diverse markets and sports while creating a seamless customer experience.

Reference IMD-7-2599

Organization Decathlon

Industry Consumer Goods, Sports Equipment

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Sustainability

Innovation

Value Creation

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La Marzocco: Espresso perfection

By Benoit F. Leleux and Jan Van der Kaaij
Case reference: IMD-7-2603 ©2024

Summary

In July 2024 Guido Preti, La Marzocco’s sustainability manager, was preparing his three-year plan to combine La Marzocco’s ESG program with that of its new owners, the De’Longhi Group. Since its inception in 1927, the company had relentlessly sought to produce the perfect espresso machine through exceptional craftmanship, user centric designs and technology innovation. The company had grown from an artisanal builder of high-end professional coffee machines to a global player selling over 40,000 espresso machines a year to both professionals and consumers around the globe. In December 2023, De’Longhi Group announced the establishment of a global hub for professional coffee machines that brought together La Marzocco and Eversys. One particularly tricky question was how to align La Marzocco’s famed ESG reporting and sustainability program with that of De’Longhi Group while maintaining its best-place-to-work culture.

Reference IMD-7-2603

Organization La Marzocco

Industry Manufacturing, Machinery

Available Languages English

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Related topics

Sustainability

Entrepreneurship

Growth

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Ragn-Sells: From company in crisis to circular sustainability champion

By Florian Hoos and Valerie Keller-Birrer
Case reference: IMD-7-2567 ©2024

Summary

This case highlights Ragn-Sells’ remarkable journey from facing financial difficulties to establishing itself as a global authority on the circular economy and sustainability. In 2015, Pär Larshans joined the Swedish waste management company during a period of financial uncertainty, prompting a re-evaluation of its business strategy. Through a comprehensive trend scouting process, Ragn-Sells identified key opportunities within mega trends, notably focusing on planetary boundaries and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which became central to its future direction. Over nearly a decade, Ragn-Sells underwent a profound transformation and cultural shift. It pioneered innovative approaches such as recycling phosphorus and other nutrients from waste instead of mining them, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and circular economy. Early recognition of its efforts followed, with Ragn-Sells being honored as an “Innovation of Leadership” ambassador for the SDGs in 2018 and invited to present its achievements at the UN in New York. Leveraging this recognition, Larshans embarked on a mission of knowledge sharing, utilizing public speaking engagements and early adoption of LinkedIn to promote Ragn-Sells' innovative solutions and foster collaboration. Looking ahead, Larshans contemplated Ragn-Sells’ next steps, exploring emerging mega trends beyond the SDGs and formulating strategic plans for continued success.

Reference IMD-7-2567

Organization Ragn-Sells Group

Industry Utilities, Recycling

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Sustainability

Family Business

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