Sustainability non-profit GreenBlue’s Advisory Services Group has begun employing a strategic process to help companies walk through a ten-step course of action that strategically links sustainability with innovation.
The sustainability-focused adaptation of the value innovation methodology starts by helping companies identify their most important sustainability customer group. It continues with a series of contextual interviews with a representative sampling of the group and leads to an iterative plotting and validation of “as-is” and “to-be” value curves. These value curves serve as a roadmap to sustainability strategies and solutions.
GreenBlue says the process was co-developed by former colleagues and co-authors Nina Goodrich, now GreenBlue’s Executive Director, and Richard Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Value Innovations, Inc.
To back its claims, GreenBlue references a recent study published by Rutgers University and New York University, which found only companies that make a serious and long-term commitment to sustainability reap the economic benefits of their environmental and social endeavors. The study also showed superficial sustainability initiatives can actually increase cost, leave stakeholders unmoved and impair financial performance.
“Our value innovation for sustainability process is a learn-by-doing engagement, designed to tie innovation and sustainability to the DNA of a company,” said Katherine O’Dea, Senior Director of Innovation and Advisory Services at GreenBlue. “While we work with our clients on an immediate sustainability issue or need, we also train an internal team to be able to repeat and reapply the process to future sustainability challenges and opportunities until it becomes standard operating procedure.”
The process is applicable for large, mid-size or small companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies at the strategy, product, process or service level.
“Because a key step in the value innovation process is contextual interviewing, the process also tends to generate stakeholder trust, which generally translates into maximum return on sustainability investments,” added O’Dea.
GreenBlue recently released a set of guidelines aimed at protecting forests by taking a holistic approach to the life cycle management of paper products. Guidelines for Sustainable Paper Products are intended to serve as a touchstone, or source of credible information companies can use to inform and support a sustainability strategy. Based on life cycle thinking, the guidelines envision a paper industry in which every product is designed to be safe and healthy throughout its life cycle.
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published Jun 19, 2013 3am EDT / 12am PDT / 8am BST / 9am CEST