ABSTRACT
The core of embedding is that sustainability is integrated into business purpose and strategy. Embedding sustainability requires effective board oversight—the 'governance of responsibility'. Unilever is one of the companies at the forefront of embedding sustainability in the heart of business. In 2006, the chief executive officer (CEO) Niall Fitzgerald and the then Corporate Responsibility director Mandy Cormack outlined what they had learnt in their respective roles about embedding responsibility in The Role of Business in Society: An Agenda for Action. The corporate strategy is set out in a document called 'The Compass' which commits the company to 'double in size while reducing its environmental footprint.' In Accenture's 2010 CEO survey for the UN Global Compact, engaging investors is seen by 71% of CEOs as being important for embedding sustainability—but still regarded as the least important of six core requirements. Patrick Reinmoeller explores some of the challenges of embedding sustainability within strategy.
