ABSTRACT
Pressure relates to the external conditions that drive companies to embrace sustainability. A pressure factor that has been a catalyst for sustainability leadership is an unexpected momentous external experience such as an extreme weather event or a natural disaster. The role of corporations includes setting environmental and social standards around the world, and actually changing the nature of how business thinks about what it is accountable for, and what its footprint should be. The catalyst for companies to break through the sustainability leadership threshold is People. While plural, "People" often comes down to one committed leader or a few key players who have significant impact during company transitions to sustainability leadership status. Understanding the kind of catalysts that can trigger a company to cross the leadership threshold, embed sustainability within their day-to-day operations and become role-models will hopefully help more companies to follow suit.
