Sustainable business practices

As interest in clean energy surges, used solar panels are going straight into landfill.

Counterintuitively, ESG ratings reward companies that are likely to profit in the climate crisis — not those who are doing the most to fight it.

Gender equity and environmental sustainability may seem like unrelated issues, but research shows that they are in fact closely intertwined.

Despite heightened attention to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, surprisingly few companies are making meaningful progress in delivering...

Companies that introduce sustainable offerings face a frustrating paradox: Most consumers report positive attitudes toward eco-friendly products and services,...

It might not actually work.

Green strategies are necessary, but which ones, and how will we pay for them?

A walk through recent research.

Companies tend to focus on their top-tier suppliers, but the real risks come lower down.

We need measures to help people, animals, and plants survive the climate crisis.

It’s a trickier question than you might think.

Understanding the new organizational form that looks beyond shareholders.

Pick a strategy that fits your resources and capabilities.

We’re confusing output with impact.

Our brains have trouble planning for the distant future.

Maggie Brenneke, director of the Skoll Social Enterprise Program at SustainAbility. When businesses consider their social and environmental bottom lines, they identify new opportunities to innovate. Some of those opportunities can be surprising!

We’ve lost sight of how to communicate value to investors. Integrated reporting can get us back on track.

It's way too soon to say anything definitive about what's going on in Japan. Who really knows what the outcome might be from the frightening breakdown...

To serve all stakeholders, companies need systems change, not just one committed leader. The ousting of Danone’s chief executive shows why.

Do you know your biodiversity footprint?

This case study describes Patagonia's goal to become carbon neutral by 2025 in an absolute sense -- that is to reduce emissions to zero while still growing...

Business is changing. Will you adapt or be left behind? In "Climate Change: Tools for Preparing Your Team for the Future," you'll apply the ideas from...

Amyris has grown from a Silicon Valley startup to a global publicly-traded company who genetically programs yeast into chemicals used by more than 250...

Indigo Agriculture used a digital-enabled research and development (R&D) process to launch its initial product, microbial coatings for agricultural seeds,...

An Indian wind energy company with global ambitions of being among the top three in its business worldwide, Suzlon Energy Ltd. (Suzlon) manufactures and...

This case study focuses on Birgit Cameron, senior director of Patagonia Provisions, and several of her colleagues at both Patagonia Provisions and Patagonia...

Monique Oxender, chief sustainability officer for Keurig Green Mountain Coffee, is carefully considering the criticism the company has received regarding...

The one primer you need to launch, lead, and sponsor successful projects. We're now living in the project economy. The number of projects initiated in...

This case illustrates the key factors that Tim Travis, the maintenance lead for Legrand North American, must consider in a capital investment decision...

The case deals with issues of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability in the specific setting of a medium-sized enterprise (Host Europe)...

By 2014, IKEA Group was the largest home furnishing company, with EUR28.5 billion of sales, and planned to reach EUR50 billion by 2020, mainly from emerging...

A company seen as having a core business that is environmentally harmful by its very nature - in this case selling pesticides - faces unique challenges...

Ken Grossman walked into Bill Bales' office hoping to find an answer. Grossman, the owner of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was considering the new reality...

This case study examines the tensions that arise when Patagonia simultaneously pursues sustainability and quality objectives embedded within its mission...

The case "Wild Herbs Grow Tall - Mastering Structural Change in Lusatia" describes how entrepreneur Christina Grätz carves out a niche in the re-cultivation...

The case describes the problems in agricultural practices in the north-western states of India and the efforts of a non-governmental organization, CII-ITC...

In late 2013, Husk Power Systems found itself falling further and further behind plan. The founding CEO had decided to resign. His co-founder is faced...

Dr. David Keith, President of Carbon Engineering, a company based in Calgary, Alberta, is commercializing a technology to capture carbon dioxide (CO2)...

You want the most important ideas for executives all in one place. Now you can have them--in a set of HBR's 10 Must Reads, available as an 8-volume paperback...

The decision focuses on sustainable green retailing strategies surrounding meat donations by Giant Foods in their meat rescue pilot program called "Meat...

As interest in clean energy surges, used solar panels are going straight into landfill.

Counterintuitively, ESG ratings reward companies that are likely to profit in the climate crisis — not those who are doing the most to fight it.

Gender equity and environmental sustainability may seem like unrelated issues, but research shows that they are in fact closely intertwined.

Despite heightened attention to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, surprisingly few companies are making meaningful progress in delivering...

Companies that introduce sustainable offerings face a frustrating paradox: Most consumers report positive attitudes toward eco-friendly products and services,...

It might not actually work.

Green strategies are necessary, but which ones, and how will we pay for them?

A walk through recent research.

Companies tend to focus on their top-tier suppliers, but the real risks come lower down.

We need measures to help people, animals, and plants survive the climate crisis.