Sustainability Leadership

Henrik Henriksson is President and CEO of Scania, a leading supplier of solutions and services for sustainable transport that is driving the shift towards a fossil-free transport system for heavy commercial vehicles. A fierce advocacy for sustainability, Henrik is an advisor to the Swedish government and part of its Agenda 2030 delegation. Elaine Weidman Grunewald is a co-founder of the AI Sustainability Center, a world-leading center for assessing the societal implications of AI and data-driven technologies. An expert on global sustainability and development issues, Elaine has spent over two decades in the private sector focusing on digitalization and sustainable development, where she pioneered the tech for good movement.

Chapter 1: Purpose-driven leadership o A company's purpose is being redefined: the purpose of business is about more than the bottom line o Purpose must grow organically out of the culture to avoid purpose washing. o How to engage your organization, build a coalition of the willing, get your board and investors behind you o Introduction to the authors' methodology for the three stages of sustainability leadership: (1.0, Building the foundation, 2.0 Business integration, 3.0 Changing the world, which frame the remaining chapters. Chapter 2: Sustainability Swedish-style o Sweden presents a unique platform for sustainability leadership (historical, political context, world-class environmental and social leadership; that the face of the youth climate movement, Greta Thunberg, is Swedish is no coincidence). o Why Scania, a 108-year-old company, and others with similar deep roots in Swedish values (i.e., Electrolux, Stora Enso, Ericsson) are informed by their history but agile enough to adapt to current and future sustainability challenges. o A smorgasbord of CEO interviews provides multiple perspectives on what Sweden is doing right Chapter 3: Finding the core o Identify the areas where you can make the greatest sustainability gains and impacts by understanding all parts of your value chain (supply chain, operations, sales and customers, and end of life/disposal) o In 3.0 of the model, accelerate transformation by learning how to change the ecosystem and bring on board not just your customers, but your customers' customers. o Business benefits and credibility derive from integrating sustainability into the product and portfolio o There's no such thing as a sustainability strategy, there is only business strategy o Seize the power of unexpected alliances through the ecosystem approach (3.0) Chapter 4: It's all about the sales o Embedding sustainability in the product or service makes it part of the company's DNA, not least engaging your sales force. o A sustainability transformation starts and ends with your customers - the fastest way to get traction is to get them interested o Learn how to measure and incentivize results and create demand for your most sustainable products Chapter 5: Impact is not only measured by profit o Why non-financial metrics matter and why you need science-based targets o Defining smart KPIs: the 100 best KPIs to measure sustainability performance o What makes a good KPI and a less good KPI o Report on your performance and acknowledge the challenges Chapter 6: Get ahead of the curve o The days of free polluting and hidden lobbying are over; leaders are expected to provide real solutions to sustainability challenges o Companies today are in some cases larger than governments, and thus have unprecedented influence and power to make positive change. Wield that influence wisely and responsibly, to help create a level playing field. o Leverage your role in policy discussions to scale your vision. Be proactive and learn how to avoid regulatory blind spots Chapter 7: Engage your stakeholders o Why the key sustainability trends matter to you and your stakeholders. o Move beyond traditional stakeholders: society itself is your stakeholder. o Have clear processes for engaging your stakeholders o Work with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and impact investors to advance your mission. Chapter 8: Avoid the pitfalls and risks o Trust is a business advantage. It's more than simply following the law - this is about living up to purpose o Candid first-hand accounts of how CEOs led their companies through a crisis and came out stronger o A primer on the fundamentals of a solid governance foundation: go beyond compliance, set up the right processes, make ethical conduct non-negotiable, and part of the DNA Chapter 9: The UN Sustainable De