In thinking about business sustainability it is easy to forget the role of products and services, the delivery of which is ultimately the raison d'etre of business, and which are directly or indirectly the source of most environmental and sustainability impacts. A sustainable future will require much higher levels of product and service innovation and it is here that business will find the great opportunities to prosper through sustainability. The design and development or supply of sustainable products and services will become an area of strategic importance requiring the involvement, skills and cooperation of a wide spectrum of functions in business. This book has been written to address some specific gaps in the literature on business sustainability and social responsibility. The core concept presented is that
sustainable value - the value created from sustainability performance - should be both the basis and the objective of the business case for sustainability. Value management has long been an important business technique for looking beyond narrow functional or operational priorities and taking a more holistic view of the effect of product and supply chain or network activities on long-term business value. Sustainable Value (management) works in the same way and means thinking about and identifying the complex web of materials, components and suppliers that are involved in delivering sustainable products and services to customers, whilst taking account of their sustainability impacts (both positive and negative) and the concerns of key stakeholders involved in the process and throughout the lifecycle. So, where can sustainable value be found? The book focuses particularly on the tangible-products, services and systems - but also covers more fuzzy ground, arguing that reputation and brand management will ultimately add sustainable value to organisations. Full of practical guidance and case material, the book also serves as an accessible, widely applicable, business-oriented guide on applying sustainability considerations in product/service planning, design and development, supply chain management and business generally.
