The Strategy of Corporate Sustainability.
                     The Strategy of 
Corporate 
Sustainability
Introduction
• Sustainable and efficient operations are a competitive advantage. Corporate 
Sustainability Strategies works with clients to strategically leverage the value of 
sustainability. 
Source: www.corporatesustainabilitystrategies.com
Embedding sustainability
• Corporate sustainability demands a broad view of issues and impacts, as well as a 
working understanding of what the company does and how it does it. Embedding 
sustainability means joining the two together through a series of concrete steps.
Source: www.corporatesustainabilitystrategies.com
Understand sustainability and recognize 
what it means to the company
• As a first step, it is important to define what sustainability means for every area in the 
company and to identify its benefits. From investment decisions, developing new 
products or services to changing procurement practices, sustainability has an 
increasingly central role in these decisions.
Source: http://www.pgsadvisors.com
Engage with stakeholders
• Depending on its line of business, a company’s impact can vary among stakeholders. 
Generally, companies engage with the most influential groups, keeping close ties and 
a constant dialogue.
Source: http://www.pgsadvisors.com
Set goals and commitments
• Once key environmental, social and governance issues have been identified and 
engagement methods for each stakeholder group have been defined, efforts must 
focus on reducing risks and seizing opportunities around these issues centered on 
sustainable practices. 
Source: http://www.pgsadvisors.com
Establish systems and processes
• Once the goals are established, specific systems and detailed processes need to 
guide the implementation of each initiative. 
• Throughout the design, processes and policies in place must be taken into 
consideration and collaboration among areas encouraged.
Source: http://www.pgsadvisors.com
Track progress, communicate actions and 
meet expectations
•  It is important to set a system that measures the performance towards each goal. 
Defining key performance indicators to meet the identified goals will allow to detect 
areas for improvement and will gather relevant data to track progress. 
Source: http://www.pgsadvisors.com
Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan
• Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan was launched in 2010. Under the leadership of its 
CEO Paul Polman, this ten-year sustainability plan has already accomplished 
considerable progress in its first two years. 
Source: http://www.pgsadvisors.com
Wal-Mart goals on sustainability 
• For Wal-Mart, most of its commitments and goals on sustainability are focused on the 
use of renewable energy and the adoption of energy efficiency. 
• Initiatives in these areas have resulted in the recognition of Wal-Mart as the largest 
on-site green electricity generator in the U.S.
Source: http://www.pgsadvisors.com
Conclusion
• Corporate sustainability needs to adapt to the maturity of the business and the 
company’s willingness to treat sustainability as a strategic opportunity. 
• These steps are only the beginning of a process that can eventually transform a 
company’s entire business strategy into a sustainable business strategy.
Source: http://www.pgsadvisors.com