Six questions for boards who don’t grasp sustainability (and who have had their chance)

1) What is our culture and do we understand its value? How can we find out?

2) How is our culture linked to morale, and how do we value what our people think?

3) How do we compare with sector peers on sustainability, and is that comparison important?

4) Investors are asking all large companies about purpose, about performance, and risk management of supply chains and their resilience. Is the company set up to manage these risks, and clearly tell a coherent story about purpose, with accompanying performance data? Not just a weak annual ‘CSR’ report.

5) 2025/2030 targets. Science-based or otherwise. Is the board and management up to speed on how expectations around climate change will only grow, and what needs to be planned for that, today?

6) The next generation of consumers. What do different, yet equally important groups of our customers feel the company should be talking about, and acting on? From just-in-economic power millenials to Gen Xers, do we know what our customers under 37 expect from us today, and tomorrow?

What’s missing? Bearing in mind this cannot be 20 questions, that will actually be read at board level.

You know what I mean.

Our forthcoming events

How business can tackle modern slavery and forced labour – 2-3 April – London

Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference – 9-10 April 2019 – Amsterdam

How business can tackle modern slavery, forced labor and human trafficking – 30 April – 1 May – New York

The Future of Food, USA – 21-22 May 2019 – Chicago

The Future of Food, Europe – 4-5 June 2019 – London

The Positive Impact Forum 18th – 19th June 2019 – London 
How business can work with investors and key stakeholders to demonstrate and measure purpose, values and value

Details on our work at: https://innovation-forum.co.uk