ABSTRACT
The gradual entry of sustainability into mainstream markets has led business leaders and scholars alike to adapt existing strategy frameworks in a way reminiscent of Ptolemaic efforts to keep the Earth at the center of the universe by adding epicycles. Sustainability ends up being an afterthought, despite good intentions and even though the external market is not just a little more ecologically and socially mindful, it is now an entirely different ball game. Embedded sustainability is not just a better environmentalist strategy; it is a response to a radically different market reality, one that unifies the profit, ecological, and social spheres into a single integrated value creation space. While the metaphors of the wasp and the frog are a somewhat dark commentary on human behavior, the story of embedded sustainability is largely a positive and inspiring one. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
