Publications & Thought Leadership

In an increasingly resource-constrained and socially challenged world, companies must focus on how to go beyond simply making their products less harmful to becoming a force for social good. Growing global resource constraints—coupled with changing customer, investor, and government expectations—are driving companies to change the way they do business.

Redefining Products and Brands for Sustainable Impact shows how companies are re-engineering existing product portfolios to reduce dependencies on dwindling, finite resources and investing in new products and services to increase sustainability. Innovative companies reimagine and retool their product and service designs to minimize adverse social and environmental impacts and generate positive impacts. They set and invest in targets to improve the sustainability profile of their products and their customers. This includes environmental and social impacts related to workers, consumers, and communities. It also means re-evaluating the accessibility, usability, and affordability of products—such as applying universal design principles where products are accessible by all people regardless of income and ability. Rather than offer a niche green product suite, these organizations express their sustainability commitments through core products and services that measurably improve people’s lives with a significantly smaller environmental footprint. To meet the criteria of sustainable development for the future, some products are totally redesigned or eliminated altogether.

Redefining Products and Brands for Sustainable Impact provides and overview of this trend and the drivers and benefits. Redefining Products and Brands for Sustainable Impact provides examples of companies transitioning their product portfolios to generate sustainability impact, and summarizes a number of strategic approaches companies are using to propel this shift.