Making the responsibility for practicing sustainability a company-wide strategic priority

Abstract

Purpose Recent research conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value found that 53 percent of organizations will position environmental sustainability as a top business priority by 2024. Design/methodology/approach The 3000 CEOs in our 2022 CEO study report that the greatest pressure they experience for improved sustainability and transparency now comes from their board, investors and ecosystem partners. Findings For successful organizations, sustainability is an integral part of the business strategy. Practical/implications Moving toward a more sustainable enterprise is an opportunity to transform and drive innovation throughout and beyond the organization. Originality/value While most organizations now have a sustainability strategy, only 37 percent have aligned sustainability objectives with their business strategies. Leading organizations co-create with ecosystem partners in new ways, creating new business platforms, pursuing innovation and aligning sustainability measures.