Straightforward strategies for achieving sustainable practices and business success in the modern organization
In Clean: Lessons from Ecolab’s Century of Positive Impact, a team of veteran sustainability experts delivers a practical toolkit for creating a forward-looking and sustainability-focused business. From Ecolab’s origins in sustainability 100 years ago to its ambitious 2030 environment and social impact goals, this book lays out a roadmap for business transformation and continued growth – today and for the next 100 years.
You’ll explore the principles and methods required to build and lead a sustainable company. You’ll discover how to evolve your focus on sustainability over time, as your organization transforms and grows. You’ll learn to:
- Build and maintain momentum for sustainability initiatives and cement your firm’s commitment to new practices through iteration and aligning business units around core, shared sustainability goals.
- Embed new sustainable practices into your organization’s governance and operations DNA
- Identify and leverage specific sustainability levers that impact a wide variety of key performance indicators
- Create a set of business processes that enable sustainable future and engage your employees in a higher purpose
An essential playbook for students of sustainability and business, this book is a must-read for the modern manager, executive, or director seeking to solidify their business strategy and future-proof their company. Clean: Lessons from Ecolab’s Century of Positive Impact describes the holistic and comprehensive approach to responsible business that we’ve all been waiting for.
Table of Contents:
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
Foreword xvii
Chapter 1 The Call for a Sustainable World 1
Chapter 2 Perspective: The Foundation of Sustainability 23
Chapter 3 From Perspective to Purpose: eROI and the Three Phases of Sustainability 43
Chapter 4 The Tone at the Top: Executive Leadership and Management 67
Chapter 5 Leadership Throughout the Organization: 48,000 Strong and Counting 89
Chapter 6 Creating a Sustainable Product Pipeline 111
Chapter 7 Acquisitions: Sustainability Through Addition 135
Chapter 8 Divestiture: Sustainability Through Subtraction 155
Chapter 9 Catalyzing Sustainability Through Multi- Stakeholder Partnerships 175
Chapter 10 Looking Forward to Ecolab’s Second Century 199
Notes 217
About the Authors 231
Index 233
