ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the importance of leadership in communicating corporate commitment to sustainability, and explores the critical role of leadership in developing and implementing sustainability strategy. It details mission and vision statements, and describes the role of organizational culture and people in instilling sustainability. The chapter presents the challenges that multinational corporations face in implementing sustainability when operating globally and considers important industry standards. It shows how government regulations can affect sustainability decisions and how socially, environmentally, and economically responsible investment and rating systems can influence sustainability strategies. The development of a strong corporate sustainability strategy is critical to changing corporate culture and reducing potential negative impacts. The six core principles can help boards in formulating strategies in general and to improve sustainability in particular: leadership, engagement, alignment, diversity, evaluation, and responsibility. A primary goal of leadership for sustainability is setting principles and practices that will help institutionalize the concept of sustainability in the organization.
