Gitte Haar – författare

The green transition is the way to a sustainable and fair planet, and necessary to secure supply chains, deliver predictable prices, and ensure access to raw materials despite resource scarcity through sustainable production and consumption.

This book provides broad, essential insights into the main elements of the green transition, circular economy, and sustainability. Sustainability and the green transition will mean new market conditions for businesses. Companies will be subject to new legislation at the corporate and product level alike. They will need to meet new requirements, e.g., having to provide a tremendous amount of new non-financial ESG data to deliver transparency and traceability in the value chains of products and businesses.

The book aims to close the gaps between science, society, and business. To do so, it describes the complexity of sustainability and the need for a holistic approach. In addition, it provides solutions, tools and methods to transform today’s linear economy, make businesses ready for the future, and create a society that no longer pushes the planet beyond its limits.

The overall framework for leaders is now changing and a reassessment of traditional economic and financial models is called for to foster the green and circular transition. The Nordic countries may offer some of the values and leadership trends needed to implement sustainable leadership. Sustainable leadership is necessary to attract new generations of customers and employees, and to drive the great transition to a green economy. Leaders need new competences and new values to prepare their companies for the new market conditions and geopolitical situation. Managing businesses’ impacts throughout the value chain is the new normal and sustainability is a business imperative.

In this regard, the Sustainable Development Goals can offer guidance. The Nordic societies have proven to be forerunners in terms of developing SDG-oriented business strategies, and their economies remained resilient and stable through the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the Nordic example, this book discusses how the transformation of business models, organizations, and societies, as well as the pricing of externalities, will be essential to operating within the boundaries of a fair and sustainable world. The book introduces a UN SDG Fund and explains the value of sending executives on “Højskole” – a Danish journey of lifelong learning and the continuous acquisition of new leadership skills and values. In addition, it presents the new concepts of the “Strategic House” and “Purpose Gap,” while adapting Porter’s value chain into a Circular Organization Model. The book also features a catalogue of proven methods and guidelines to assist companies in transforming their businesses towards sustainability, ESG, and regenerative impacts.