Do You Speak Sustain By AnkeS

ANKE STEINBACH

DO YOU
SPEAK
SUSTAIN-
ABILITY?

A PERSONA L NAVIGATOR
FOR CORPORATE ACTION

CONTENT OVERVIEW

INVITATION 7 THE PEOPLE FACTOR
Page 3 Page 206

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 8 CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY
Page 6 Page 232

CHAPTER OVERVIEW 9 REVISING GLOBAL
Page 9 DYNAMICS
Page 266
1 BUSINESS IN THE
21ST CENTURY 10 ABOUT YOU AND ME
Page 16 Page 300

2 WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW TO GO ON
Page 42 Page 346

3 UNDERSTANDING EPILOGUE
DRIVERS Page 348
Page 72
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH
4 MANAGING SUSTAIN- Page 352
ABILITY
Page 102 REFERENCES
Page 354
5 AVOIDING GREENWASHING
Page 142 IMPRINT
Page 370
6 IDEAS AND INNOVATION
Page 176

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

CHAPTER 1 BUSINESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY 16
1.01
TIME FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS 18
1.02 Companies as part of society 18
Missing the baseline 19
1.03 What is business about? 21
1.04 The business of business 22

CHAPTER 2 POWER MEANS RESPONSIBILITY 23
2.01 An employment engine 24
Size matters? 25
Significant reach and impact 26
A snapshot of negative impacts 27

OUR ECONOMIC NARRATIVE 28
Free markets 28
Unlimited natural resources 31
A key: perpetual growth 32

IS THERE A NEW NARRATIVE? 33
A new role for business 33
Creating value for society 34
The time is now 35

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT 42

THREE SUSTAINABILITY MARKERS 44
Challenging “business as usual” 44
Drawing a vision 45
Two significant agreements 46

2.02 BASIC CONCEPTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY 54
Three pillars: weak or strong? 54
2.03 Triple bottom line & finance 55
CSR–a diffuse term 56
CHAPTER 3 Footprints: measure it up 58
3.01 When technology makes it worse 60
3.02
3.03 TRANSLATE IT INTO BUSINESS 62
Materiality: what is relevant? 62
3.04 How about an industrial foam? 66
A sustainable cup of coffee 67
What makes banking sustainable? 68

UNDERSTANDING DRIVERS 72

RECOGNIZING STAKEHOLDERS 74
A brief look at stakeholders 74
Who is relevant? 75
Who has an impact? 77

TRIGGER EVENTS 77
A great disaster 78
A power struggle offshore 79
Another tragic accident 80

KEY DYNAMICS FOR CHANGE 82
The wakeup of the retail market 82
Transformation of the energy sector 84
Can cars be sustainable? 87
Risks on the radar 89
About forerunners and laggards 91

NEGOTIATING INTERESTS AND 92
FACING DILEMMA
What determines power? 92
Moving forward, together 95
When interests compete 97

CHAPTER 4 MANAGING SUSTAINABILITY 102
4.01
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT 104
4.02 SUS TAINABILIT Y?
Two analogies 104
4.03 What gets us started? 106
4.04 Start with key projects 107
4.05 An example of good management 109
Strategy: deciding on action 111
CHAPTER 5
5.01 MAKE IT WORK—A LOOK INTO THE TOOLBOX 114
Setting rules 114
Integrating into existing systems 116
Labels: signs for action 117
Indicators for change 119

SET INCENTIVES FOR SUCCESS 121
Linking incentives to performance 122
What about organizational readiness? 123
When financial incentives fall short 123

ON THE JOURNEY 125
Finding Mr. or Mrs. Right 126
Ten tasks in three steps 128

ADDRESSING ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS 135
Status quo—on the road 135
A sobering divide 136
How can this be overcome? 137

AVOIDING GREENWASHING 142

NEW TO GREENWASHING? 144
Why it's not random 144
When overshooting fires back 145
Why brands need to watch out 147

5.02 HOMEWORK IN COMMUNICATIONS 152
5.03 Showing you are on board 152
Interacting with stakeholders 155
5.04 Good reporting on sustainability 158

CHAPTER 6 MASTER CLASS FOR VOGUISH TOPICS 161
6.01 The challenge: plastic pollution 162
6.02 Why words matter 164
The truth and nothing but the truth 165
6.03 Fortify with good goals 166
Finally, tying it all together 167

HOW TO NAVIGATE IN DIFFICULT 168
TRANSITIONS
Can a tobacco company become sustainable? 169
An alcohol company promoting moderate use 170
Daring a re-start 171

IDEAS AND INNOVATION 176

WHY IDEAS? 178
Creating to impact 178
Truth or fiction? 179

ARE IDEAS GROWING ON TREES? 181
Wild creativity or intentional exploration? 181
Taking off from the problem 182
Straight from the heart 185
Dreaming the impossible 187

FROM EMERGING DAVIDS AND 189
GREENING GOLIATHS
David & Goliath in economic theory 189
Applying it to sustainable reality 190

6.04 KICKSTARTING SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS 192
Scaling up as sustainable entrepreneurs 192
CHAPTER 7 Overcoming inertia in big companies 195
7.01 Making it work 199

7.02 THE PEOPLE FACTOR 206
7.03
THE FUTURE OF WORK 208
CHAPTER 8 The helicopter perspective 208
8.01 How technology changes work 211
Matching people & sustainability 214
8.02
CALL FOR ACTION 215
Changing the perspective 216
The dangerous P-word, purpose 218

WORKING IN SUSTAINABILITY 222
Social or green? 223
A whole new job world 225
What is a “good job”? 227

CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY 232

WHAT BUSINESS CAN DO FOR SOCIETY 234
Why community engagement surged 234
What is strategic social engagement? 235
The abundancy of resources 237

SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES 240
Giving money–a lot 240
Spurring local employment 243
Helping in disaster relief 248

8.03 FIVE TRENDS IN ENGAGEMENT 251
Focus–narrow or broad 251
8.04 Going for impact 252
CHAPTER 9 Alignment with the SDGs 253
Provide matching funds 254
9.01 Partner with others 255
9.02
9.03 HOW TO DO GOOD, WELL 258
Some critical questions on engagement 258
9.04 Navigating strategic engagement 260
Building on a solid foundation 261

REVISING GLOBAL DYNAMICS 266

WHO PAYS THE BILL? 268
Unequal distribution of burdens 268
The vulnerability of tourism 270

TREATING CLOTHES AS COMMODITIES 274
Unhealthy business dynamics 274
The real wage issues 276

SMARTPHONES BEHIND THE SCENE 279
Do you really need a smartphone? 279
Mining for smartphones 281
A big footprint in manufacturing 283
And when it’s over? 284

TRANSFORM FISHING—AND MEAT? 289
A booming industry 289
How are fishermen doing? 290
What about overfishing? 291
Gardening fish 293
How about meat, then? 296

CHAPTER 10 ABOUT YOU AND ME 300
10.01
WHY MORE SUSTAINABILITY 302
10.02 IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD
10.03 It deludes the facts 302
10.04 It leaves us complacent 304
10.05 It triggers guilt and pressure 305
The great stuff our current narrative 306

YES, THE CONSUMER MATTERS–A LOT 308
Why different makes a difference 308
Less is actually part of the game 310
How do we use our power? 313

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO 315
CHANGE OUR CONSUMPTION?
Gaps in knowledge and attitude 316
A tough one: inconsistent behavior 317
On the hook 318

WANT TO LIVE ON A SMALLER FOOTPRINT? 320
The goal: 2.3 tons per year 320
Whats your personal footprint? 321
How to handle internet use? 322
Yes, diet needs to be mentioned 325

APPLY THE “GOLDEN RULE” 328
Where can I avoid? 328
Why reducing is an option 332
The fun world of reusing 336
Recycling matters, period. 338
Feelgood offset 342



INVITATION

Dear Reader,

The year 2020 has been a special year; so different than expected.
We all have a few of our own 2020 stories.

At 9:37 am CET on November 28, 2020, WHO reported that there have been
globally 61,036,793 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 1,433,316 deaths.1
These are numbers. Each represents a person, an individual story, and
numerous other people, circumstances and systems involved.

We are still right in the middle of the pandemic and do not yet know
where it will lead—neither in terms of the disease’s development nor the
lives of countless people. It also remains to be seen what the long-term
consequences of this pandemic will be on businesses and the global
economy. These are times of disruption, uncertainty and change.

Why did I start a book about sustainability with data about a virus?
For two reasons.

The first is very personal. I started to write the initial pages of this book
just before the first lockdown hit Europe in March 2020. With the world
shaken and many people devastatingly affected, I found myself despera-
tely thinking many times “Heavenly Father, where are you? Have mercy
on us!” What I have since learned is that the God I believe in is indeed
present and active during this crisis, but in ways other than I had thought.

During 2020, Covid-19 superimposed itself on sustainability. But, while
the coronavirus will pass, the challenges related to sustainability will
remain. Working in this field for almost 20 years, I’m familiar with a wide
range of topics. Still, while writing the book, I was moved when I saw how
dire some situations really are and how urgently action is needed. These
next ten years will be absolutely decisive for sustainability.

This book and its topics have been my constant companion these past
several months and writing it has inspired me in these turbulent times.
To be able to dedicate my talent and energy in this period of change and
create something that will have implications beyond this season, gave me

3

personal hope. My wish and my prayer are that the knowledge and
encouragement in this book will spread and have an impact on some
people in the future in order to multiply positive effects.

The second reason: Sustainability has some astonishing parallels to Covid.
US author and environmentalist Stewart Brand stated “the climate crisis
will be more expansive, more dangerous and more deadly than the actual pan-
demic … but it is a catastrophe that sneaks up in slow motion and misses the
momentum of the total suddenness which caused immediate reaction.” 2

If we open ourselves up to this perspective, Covid-19 can serve as a wakeup
call. Climate change, loss of biodiversity, resource exploitation, waste
pollution, and devastating working conditions are a few of the topics we
will touch in this book. Like the coronavirus, they are invisible, and harm
or destroy life. As if under a magnifying glass, these times reveal where
our world is broken, where economic models fail and which of our societal
and personal values and attitudes nurture life. This year also showed that
we as individuals can influence the course of things at a very personal
level through our behavior–which is applicable to sustainability, too.

The world will go on, no matter what we do. But I´m convinced we can
make choices to direct it.

As a business person, I believe companies have a major role to play in sus-
tainability. Over the past almost two decades, I have had the privilege of
navigating many companies, in all types of industries, through the process
of initiating and expanding their sustainability management and commu-
nications. I would like to make a few things I have learned accessible to a
broader audience. I believe we need better and more focused management
and communications when it comes to sustainability. We need a new pro-
pelling power originating from corporate action, even while sustain-
ability´s importance is dwindling in the light of Covid-19´s challenges.

“DO YOU SPEAK SUSTAINABILITY?” invites you on a personal learning
journey. Whether you are new to sustainability or have been involved in
it for some time—each of us can learn more and act differently. To bridge
the demands and necessities of newcomers and the knowledgeable alike
is a demanding, self-imposed target. It stems from my didactical unders-
tanding of how we learn and come to action in sustainability. As complex

4

and multi-faceted as sustainability is, it needs to be adapted to the specific
context. We must continuously learn to increasingly recognize, evaluate,
consider and apply sustainability aspects to new topics and arenas.

In this book, I strive to explain, contextualize and illustrate this with
data from different companies and industries. I invite you to apply these
lessons learned to your own situation and context. As a consultant, I love
frameworks and benchmarking. Yet, there are limitations of generalized
and simplified approaches. Navigation in sustainability implies em-
powering people to see and judge differently, broader, more integrated.

Although the spotlight is on my special field of expertise–corporations,
companies are composed of people. This is why I call it a personal naviga-
tor for corporate action. Using this book as a personal navigator, can help
to become aware of the different roles we play as individuals (as business
leaders, friends, consumers, family people, citizens, to name a few) on this
journey. I have highlighted our role as consumers in a dedicated chapter.
My invitation is to read this book in the light of your personal contributi-
on within your individual circle of impact. If it can inspire you to do three
impactful things towards the change you want to see, then it was worth
all the effort pulling it together.

This is also a personal journey in the narrower sense: As people, we all
have values, experiences, goals, fears, failures, and hopes that shape and
impact our paths. I share some insights from own personal learning
journey with respect to my underlying values as a believer in the epilogue.

The year 2020 interrupted familiar routines. This can be an invitation to
pause and change the way we live together and do business.

Now is the time to take a new path in this journey. I am excited to be able
to accompany you on your way.

Sincerely Yours,

Hamburg, December 2020

5

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This is a reference book about sustainability that focuses
on corporate action.
Chapters 1-3 elaborate on some of the general concepts and dynamics that
are valuable as well as necessary for understanding sustainability.
Chapter 4 focuses on managing sustainability.
The four subsequent chapters focus on specific topics of interest;
namely, communications (chapter 5), innovation (chapter 6), people
(chapter 7), and community engagement (chapter 8). I suggest first
reading chapters 1-4 unless you are a practitioner already familiar with
the key topics of managing sustainability.
Chapter 9 dives into selected industry dynamics when interfacing
with consumers.
Chapter 10 highlights how to be on the sustainability journey
as consumers.
The final pages provide a few jumping-off points for continuing
your personal journey.

HIGHLIGHTED

are some concepts and key terms frequently used in sustainability.
They are not just defined but also put into context.

TIPS

in each chapter provide further inspiration or encourage you to deep-dive
further into a topic. They include carefully selected articles, videos,
elaborated reports, and links, as well as examples for further illustration
of the topics discussed in the passages.

6

SPOTLIGHTS

can be found in some chapters explaining and illustrating important
topics and providing detailed data.

TOOLBOXES

are provided starting in chapter 4. They contain checklists, how-to’s and
recommendations on how to handle specific tasks.

APPLICATIONS

are found at the end of each chapter and are an invitation to reflect on the
implications for your own context. Use these when suitable and allow
yourself some time to work through them. They also include some quizzes
for a fun break.

This book is not meant to provide quick fixes and will not likely answer all
of your questions. Its intention is to help enrich your knowledge and
empower you to apply sustainability aspects within your specific context.
In “How to get in touch” (see page 352), I provide some ways you can get in
touch for guidance during your own individual journey.
Note:
Data and examples are from a wide range of industries and countries but
are naturally focused on the contexts I am most familiar with. If you have
any other suggestions or know of some good examples or ideas worth
spreading, please let me know!
This data has been researched and edited carefully and consciously, to the
best of my knowledge and belief. If you have any comments or questions
regarding data, please feel free to contact me.

E-mail: [email protected]
w w w.sustainav igator.com

7

Design Anna Beddig ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
AND HOW TO TRANSFORM THE SETTING YOU ARE IN.

DO YOU SPEAK SUSTAINABILITY? gives an overview of the
context, trends and concepts of sustainability. Challenges and
dynamics that can be found in different industries are highlighted.
The book combines specific tools with strategic guidance and
offers inspiration and empowerment to those on the sustainability jour-
ney— which always has its own personal trajectory. It
addresses questions that can arise along the way, such as:

- How does sustainability translate into business?
- How can implementation be triggered?
- How should sustainable innovation, purpose

and new work be addressed?
- How do we prevent greenwashing?
- How can I become an authentic leader in sustainability?

DO YOU SPEAK SUSTAINABILITY is primarily a navigator for
executives and sustainability managers and a source of knowledge
for all those interested in how sustainability transforms business.
A special chapter is dedicated to the personal journey as a consumer.

With over 100 valuable reading and video tips!

Anke Steinbach is an economist with an MBA in Sustain-
ability Management. For almost 20 years, she has been
working in the field of sustainability. As a consultant, she has
navigated numerous companies from a broad range of
industries in sustainability strategy and communication.
Over several years, she was teaching at university on corporate
responsibility and sustainable entrepreneurship.
Her holistic approach and experience in sustainable business
development combine with her passion for getting things done.

www.sustainavigator.com

ISBN 978-3-9822766-0-1