Learn more about the obstacles that prevent companies from achieving their sustainability goals.

1. From Barriers to Building Blocks:
Overcoming Obstacles to
Sustainability
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2. Sustainability Business Drivers
Supply Chain Talent
Pressure
Cost and
Environmental
Efficiencies
Competitive Impact
Advantage
Government Risk
Action Management
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3. Current Attitudes
The Business of Sustainability – MIT Sloan Management Review
 Overwhelming majority of survey respondents said
sustainability-related issues were having or will soon
have a material impact on their business
 Strong consensus that the underlying drivers of
sustainability are highly complex and interrelated
 Fewer than 25% decreased commitment to
sustainability during downturn
 60% are building awareness of their sustainability
agenda, but most of these lack an overall plan
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4. Impeding Decisive Action
The Business of Sustainability – MIT Sloan Management Review
 Don’t understand what sustainability is and
what it means to their enterprise
 Difficulty defining the business case
 Execution is flawed
 Once companies begin to act aggressively,
they unearth more opportunity than expected
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5. Sustainability Building Blocks
Corporate
Strategy
Internal External
Organization Stakeholders
and Systems
Performance
Measurement
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6. Barriers
Corporate Strategy
 Lack of top-level commitment
 Failure to create a culture of sustainability
 Skepticism – within leadership and/or
employee base
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7. Building Blocks
Corporate Strategy
 Visible top-level involvement
 Define sustainability for your organization
 Communicate the business case – tangible
and intangible benefits
 Think beyond the short-term
 Incorporate sustainability into decision-
making frameworks
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8. Barriers
Internal Organization & Systems
 Education and engagement limited to few
employees
 Don’t know where to start
 Lack of alignment with incentive system
 Silos limit interdisciplinary collaboration
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9. Building Blocks
Internal Organization & Systems
 Focused approach - roadmap
 Utilize existing frameworks and tools
 Incorporate sustainability into product
development processes
 Cross-functional teams to reimagine how your
products are made; how you do business
 Management and personal objectives
 Social media and on-demand education
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10. Barriers
External Stakeholders
 Lack of understanding of external
stakeholder concerns and challenges
 The “green consumer” doesn’t exist
 Lack of action in Copenhagen
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11. Building Blocks
External Stakeholders
 Sales teams need to understand their
customers’ sustainability agendas
 Alliances, industry groups
 CDP, GRI, etc.
 How can your suppliers realize business
value from reducing their environmental
footprint?
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12. Barriers
Performance Measurement
 Lack of transparency – little focus on
measuring, tracking and reporting results
of sustainability-related efforts
 Absence of goals or performance targets
 Targets set without sound basis
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13. Building Blocks
Performance Measurement
 Measurement strategies for every initiative
 Define KPIs and assess your ability to
report on them today
 Availability of data in existing systems
 System enhancements for data collection and
aggregation
 Completeness and accuracy – internal controls
 Environmental scorecard – phased approach
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14. For More Information:
jkolling@thinkpaydirt.com
612.840.5673
www.thinkpaydirt.com