Sustainable business models

By developing a sustainable business model, you not only align your company’s operations with eco-friendly practices, but you can also resonate with conscious consumers and enhance your brand’s reputation.

The below collection of educational resources, including books, articles and reports, provides actionable strategies for founders and entrepreneurs to integrate sustainability into the core of their business models, fostering long-term success while contributing to a greener future.

Books:

1. The Sustainable Business Handbook: A Guide to Becoming More Innovative, Resilient and Successful by David Grayson, Chris Coulter and Mark Lee – This indispensable book is based around twenty top tips for transforming your business and is interspersed with a range of individual profiles and case studies of organizations successfully embracing sustainability.
2. The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows by Ken Webster – This book highlights circular economy principles which are integral to sustainable business models.
3. Sustainability: A History by Jeremy L. Caradonna – Caradonna’s book broadens our understanding of what “sustainability” means, revealing how it progressed from a relatively marginal concept to an ideal that shapes everything from individual lifestyles, government and corporate strategies, and even national and international policy.
4. The Responsible Company: What We’ve Learned from Patagonia’s First 40 Years by Yvon Chouinard and Vincent Stanley – This is the first book to show companies how to thread their way through economic sea change and slow the drift toward ecological bankruptcy.

Articles:

1. The Comprehensive Business Case for Sustainability by Harvard Business Review – Drawing from their own research and colleagues’ research in this area, Harvard Business Review have created a sustainability business case for the 21^st century corporate executive.
2. 12 Essential Strategies For Building A Sustainable Business by Forbes – To help entrepreneurs create and maintain sustainable organizations, 12 members of Forbes Business Council share their tips for building a business that can last long term.

Guides:

1. How to create a sustainable business model by NatWest – Discover why sustainability is important to small businesses with this NatWest guide.
2. How to Create a Sustainable Business Model by business.com – Sustainability isn’t just for large corporations. Businesses of any size can work toward a sustainable business model by following specific practices and adopting a sustainable strategy – here’s how to do it.

Reports:

1. AI for social good: Improving lives and protecting the planet by McKinsey & Company – As AI advances from predictive to generative capabilities, its potential to address social issues defined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals expands.
2. Deloitte 2023 CxO Sustainability Report by Deloitte – Over the last year, global executives have faced a number of challenges, including economic uncertainty, geopolitical conflict, supply chain disruptions and talent shortages, among others. Despite these headwinds, concern over climate change continues to be a top priority for CxOs and their organizations.

Podcasts:

1. Sustainability Leaders by BMO Financial Group – Join hosts Michael Torrance, Jonathan Hackett and others in this podcast series, as we introduce you to the innovative minds and diverse perspectives that are pushing the boundaries in sustainability good practice.
2. Sustainability Solved Podcast by Green Element Group – Each month, Sustainability Solved meet with inspirational people at the forefront of the sustainable movement, making innovative changes within their organisation to tackle the climate crisis.

The resources highlighted above offer a comprehensive toolkit to equip small business owners with the knowledge and strategies needed to integrate sustainable practices seamlessly into their operations, minimizing their environmental footprint while driving long-term growth and success.