New publication looks at what’s next for sustainable business

DNV GL has launched its new publication NEXT Sustainable Business at the United Nations Global Compact 15th anniversary celebrations in New York.

“Enlightened leaders are making sustainability a core part of business strategy. Now we need business leaders everywhere to make business a force for good. Together, we can respond to the urgency of our global challenges and build a better tomorrow” – H.E. Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General
NEXT Sustainable Business contributors

The publication is a collaboration with the United Nations Global Compact and reflects what’s next for sustainable business as seen through the eyes of forward-thinking, progressive and inspiring people, including among others Ban Ki-moon, Georg Kell, Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Paul Polman, Yolanda Kakabadse and Kofi Annan. See contributor list in side bar. 

“What are the next great challenges, the next great leaps and the next great pioneers in the movement for sustainable business?” asks Henrik O. Madsen, DNV GL Group President and CEO. “The answers to these questions can profile the future of not just corporate sustainability but the entire world economy and indeed shape the space in which future generations will live and pursue their dreams and ambitions. Faced with questions of this magnitude, we should always be careful about the answers we offer. However, if ever there was a group of people to whom we should listen for inspiration in these matters, it is the contributors to this book.” 

Taken together, the interviews with 30 leaders is a collection of unique stories on the importance of corporate sustainability and on what is next for businesses who seek to be active, engaged and responsible citizens. The essence of the insights resonate across many of the interviews and offer ten key takeaways in relation to leadership, governance,  transparency, metrics, sharing and inspiration. Youth, learning, peace and hope are also seen as important elements in creating a safe and sustainable future. 

“The UN Global Compact has been extremely fortunate to have two distinguished world leaders as our chief advocates – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Kofi Annan – as well as many opinion makers from the private sector and civil society. This book brings together the collective voice of leaders who stand for thousands of others in sharing the simple but powerful idea that corporate sustainability can be a transformative force to make our world a better place,” says Georg Kell, Executive Director UN Global Director. 

“Indeed, the moral case for business responsibility is not new,” adds Kell “However, its urgency is today greater than ever before. Evidence is mounting with companies around the world that integrate material sustainability issues and have achieved better financial performance over time. The moral case for action is now reinforced by a business case.” 

The NEXT Sustainable Business book has been published to coincide with the UN Global Compact 15th anniversary. It follows close on the heels of DNV GL’s assessment report for the Global Compact. “At DNV GL, we’re honored to have been chosen to assess the impact the Global Compact has had in making business more sustainable since its inauguration in 2000,” says Bjørn K. Haugland, DNV GL Group Chief Sustainability Officer. 

“Even though we have mapped and analyzed the developments and strides forward made in the past 15 years, the reason for doing so was to create clarity of vision when looking into the future of corporate sustainability. This perspective is an integral part of the report. However, we also felt that there was more in the material than could be conveyed in the report, so we gathered stories that we wanted to share through this publication. It is full of great insights and inspiration and helps us to explore what’s next,” concludes Haugland. 

Download NEXT Sustainable Business here. 

Read the NEXT interviews online here.

For more information about the UN Global Compact assessment report click here.