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Building the Business Case for Sustainability

A practical guide for businesses in driving towards their sustainability goals.

Building the Business Case for Sustainability

A practical guide for businesses in driving towards their sustainability goals.

Published 07-24-24

Submitted by KPMG

Report cover "Building the business case for Sustainability"

In an era where the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequalities are increasingly evident, affecting the financial viability of companies across the economy. This guide seeks to demystify the process of integrating sustainability into business operations, turning challenges into strategic opportunities.

This guide aims to equip finance teams and sustainability practitioners with the knowledge to turn sustainability into a strategic advantage. By understanding and leveraging the financial and intangible benefits, a business can transform sustainability challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

Why this guide matters

As sustainability rises on the corporate agenda, many businesses struggle with translating ambitions into actionable strategies. The perceived high costs of sustainable actions and the diffuse, long-term nature of inaction costs can add to this complexity. This guide from WBCSD aims to provide clarity, offering finance teams and sustainability practitioners practical steps to make a compelling business case for sustainability.

Why this guide matters

  1. Clear steps to building a business case: This guide expands on five actionable steps—scoping the initiative, translating impact, identifying KPIs and data requirements, collecting data, and drafting a business case.
  2. Typology of sustainability initiatives: This guide includes 16 themes and 32 opportunities categorized under climate change mitigation and adaptation, nature conservation and restoration, and social justice and equity.
  3. Financial and intangible impacts: The guide links opportunities to ten financial drivers and six intangible drivers, providing 32 detailed ‘impact tables’ to support business’ decision-making.
  4. Impact tables: These tables outline the specific impacts of each sustainability opportunity, guiding business in preparing a robust business case.

Building the business case for sustainability: Insight report

To download the report and view this article on kpmg.com, please click here.

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KPMG

KPMG

In today’s increasingly disruptive world of climate disasters, political conflict and societal inequalities, rapid ESG progress is crucial to achieving a more sustainable future.

KPMG, as a global organization, knows the intrinsic power of ESG to transform your business and our professionals can show you how to enhance trust, mitigate risk and unlock new value as you transform to build a sustainable future. Member firms’ services are holistic and practical to guide your teams to drive sustainable innovation across your business.

Through industry-leading expertise, data-driven technology and global alliances, KPMG’s experience across critical ESG issues means our professionals can assist you in creating the right roadmap for your ESG journey.

KPMG helps turn insight into opportunity for your business, people and the planet and designed our services to put ESG at the core of your operations — where it should be.

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