If a company is to successfully manage the risks and opportunities of social and environmental changes, and build a business that is sustainable in the long term, it needs to go on a journey. To build business value in a changing world, a structured approach to your sustainability journey will follow six phases:

Phase 1: Analyze

The journey to building long-term value begins with analysis of an organization’s situation in relation to environmental and social trends.

Phase 2: Plan

Goals and milestones must be fully integrated with the broader business strategy.

Phase 3: Implement

An organization needs a number of fundamentals in place in order to implement the strategy effectively.

Phase 4: Monitor

In order to monitor performance effectively, organizations need to have the right data-gathering processes, analysis tools and methodologies.

Phase 5: Report & assure

Reporting on social and environmental performance is now standard practice in business wherever in the world you may operate.

Phase 6: Evaluate

Regular evaluation is essential for companies taking the journey to a more sustainable business model.