MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Can We Afford Sustainable Business?

“How are we going to pay for this?”

In that question lies the conundrum faced by the growing ranks of corporate leaders who recognize that business must, at the very least, stop contributing to the most urgent problems facing humanity and ought to, at best, help solve them. In mission statements and strategic plans, many companies are making commitments to improving sustainability and reducing inequity — but when it comes to meeting those goals, they are tripped up by the financial implications.

In reality, we have no shortage of ideas on how to provide greater and more equitable access to goods and services, use them conscientiously and more effectively, and leave the least amount of waste behind.

About the Author

Marco Bertini is a professor of marketing at Esade Ramon Llull University and a visiting professor at Harvard Business School. He is also a senior adviser at BCG. John Pineda is a partner and director in BCG’s San Francisco office. Amadeus Petzke is a partner and associate director in BCG’s Berlin office. Jean-Manuel Izaret is the global leader of the marketing, sales, and pricing practice at Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

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