CHIME

clearer communications of impact. Consumers are confused and overwhelmed by claims and promises of good intentions. Companies need to find the balance between aspirational statements and hard data.

Collaboration is key," Polman said, "The issues are simply too big to go it alone.

about collaboration at new scales.

The secret is to begin, to move forward despite the uncertainty and to become comfortable with much greater transparency and collaboration, so that we can bravely lead for a new order of things,"

It finds that the major barriers for SMEs are lack of financial resources, lack of knowledge, supply chain barriers, and difficulty in implementing sustainability initiatives across functions.

sustainability represents a massive opportunity for American SMEs and the entire U.S. economy

But the story in a lot of people’s minds is: “I know I’m supporting Monsanto and Raytheon, and I don’t like that, but I don’t know what else to do. The social index fund isn’t a great alternative. I think I’d like to really diversify, like going in on a local business.” When businesses that are values-based offer this kind of investor the chance to invest small amounts – $50?  $500?  $2,000? – plus a basis to believe they’ll get a return – they’ll go for it. I know I would.

It begins with an effort to communicate the business value of sustainability in terms investors already understand: the potential to drive revenue growth from sustainability-advantaged products, improve productivity (and margins) from sustainability initiatives and measurably reduce key sustainability-related risks to revenue and reputation.

Understanding how effectively a business is exploiting the new global force in business in simple terms may be a key indicator that every analyst needs to know.

n 2012, DuPont generated more than $10bn from environmentally advantaged products