Writing ⁽¹⁸⁾

Current ways of measuring sustainability either exaggerate achievement or utterly fail to capture real progress. We need a new kind of metric that connects businesses with the scientific context surrounding their actions, and gives them a clear and compelling destination. Almost 50 years ago we…

This deceptively simple question is actually very difficult to answer. That’s because until now we’ve lacked a common definition of what “enough” means. To see why, let’s look at the three benchmarks by which sustainability performance is typically assessed: All three approaches assess performance relative…

Think of a company, any company. Got one? OK. Now ask yourself this: Is the company truly sustainable, in everything it does and sells? If not, then how must the company change before it is? If you’re struggling to answer these questions, you’re not alone:…

We’re up the creek but, together, we may yet be able to paddle out. I'm not religious, but – aside from feeling strangely proud when I was once branded a “born-again heathen” – I've never considered this to be a core part of my identity.

For me, and I daresay for many working in the sustainability space, Earth Day has become an opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made over the past year, and to think about where we need to focus our efforts going forward. This year I find myself…

The World Health Organisation estimates that 30% of prescriptive drugs in circulation in emerging economies are counterfeit. Imagine you live in the developing world, and you depend upon regular medicine to keep you healthy enough to feed your family. There is roughly a one in three…

We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Steve Jobs Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56, having transformed the way we use and think about technology. Those of us working toward a more sustainable world would be wise to pay…

At SustainAbility we are in the business of transforming business: helping companies to move to truly sustainable business models and supply chains. But for the leaders of the global corporations with whom we work, real transformation – as opposed to low-risk, step-by-step change – can seem daunting.