Benefits for business

Reaping the rewards

The Natural Step provides professional and customized education, training and advisory services to leading companies committed to real change. By integrating sustainability and systems-thinking into hearts and minds of employees, and into the core strategies and operations of companies like Nike, Rio Tinto Alcan, and Rohm and Haas we are helping them create innovative, sustainable solutions and driving the transition to a sustainable future. Companies committed to a sustainable vision also enjoy a number of clear commercial benefits including:

• Product and Service Innovation-Sustainability principles and strategies inject revolutionary thinking into new product and services, opening up new markets, growing customers, and reducing risk throughout the lifetime of products.
• Competitive Advantage - Visionary organisations use sustainability to adapt to competitive pressures through innovative, flexible and adaptable products and processes, with an enhanced ability to quickly respond to change.
• Customer and Employee Loyalty and Trust - Enhanced brand equity and reputation accompanies sustainable business practices serving to attract customers and employees alike. Increased Shareholder Value -Research shows that companies pursuing sustainable business strategies have significantly greater shareholder value than their peers.
• License to operate – Organisations that can genuinely and effectively engage communities to deliver ‘triple bottom line’ benefits are much more likely to achieve success in their ventures.
• Cost savings - Redesigning energy, material flows and impacts in the direction of sustainability can significantly reduce operational costs while increasing access to capital by lowering risks.
• And of course, bringing your organization strategically closer towards environmental and social sustainability in an economically sound way.