Maybe the biggest challenge, though, is how to build the "business case" for investing in a sustainability-related job -even when you believe that the project addresses an important chance. What do executives need to know about sustainability as a business proposal? Interviewee Amory Lovins, the co founder of Rocky Mountain Institute, co author of Natural Capitalism -Creating the Next Industrial Revolution and receiver of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," claims that executives labor under several pernicious misunderstandings about how sustainability affects business -the worst being that sustainability efforts need to cost a company, when in fact, says Lovins, they nearly always increase profits.
How does one begin to develop a persuasive business case for undertaking sustainability-related initiatives? Chart your flows and prices of materials and energy, says Lovins; you will discover economic "leaks" that can be predetermined, with direct bottom-line benefits. He also point out frequent side benefits of sustainability-related attempts: gains in initiation, allure and labour productivity as a cooperation partner. Those gains, he claims, will exceed the direct ones.
PUBLICATION DATE: October 01, 2009 PRODUCT #: SMR329-HCB-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about LEADERSHIP & MANAGING PEOPLE