The Alphabet of Sustainability : 26 Ways to be Sustainable

THE ALPHABET OF SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability is all the rage - in words, at any rate. It appears with increasing frequency in political speeches, recommendations of international organizations, pledges of business leaders, and in the advertising of many products. All of this has led many to believe that the word is overused to the point of “burnout,” along with the apparent disconnect between commitments made and actions taken. But a closer look reveals that the concept is taken very seriously by the successful companies examined in this book, one for each letter of the alphabet: Alce Nero, Berlucchi, Chiesi, Davines, Enel, Florim, Granarolo, Humana People to People, Inglesina, Jointly, Kartell, Lago, Melinda, NATIVA, Olivetti, Patagonia, Quantis, Rossi & Lanerossi, Sofidel, Toyota, Unipol, Video Systems, WAMI, xFarm, Yamamay, Zordan. Their stories are undeniable proof that, despite the organizational and financial challenges, choosing sustainability is a long-term reward that requires everyone - from policymakers to businesses, from the media to consumers - to change the grammar of their behavior and speak a language fit for the challenges of the 21st century. A game of chess where the players are the institutions, the governments, and the companies, and we, as individuals, are the pawns. A global game in which the chessboard is our planet. With this metaphor, the authors define sustainability and testify the benefits that the choice of being sustainable delivers, despite the initial costs. The book tells the story of the protagonists of this game: businesses belonging to different fields, of different dimensions, from the smallest family companies to the big multinationals. Many of the latter are companies that were born earlier in history that have taken the big leap of sustainable innovation becoming creators of the common good, while other organizations were already born with this specific objective. The companies that the authors decided to mention for propitiating the Smart & Sustainable approach these organizations view inclusion, sustainability, and cooperation as the core of their activities, and they succeed in implementing the double ecological and digital transition that the paradigm pursues.