Jeana Wirtenberg knows sustainability is about people.
Living, breathing, caring, feeling human beings.
It’s not green. Or eco. Or solar. Or resilient. And it’s not even environmentally conscious or any other of the buzzwords we hear.
Sustainability is what people do to make sure we’re living today so there’s enough for all, forever.
That means each one of us.
Including what we do at work–whether we’re the boss or employee.
And if we spend the majority of our waking hours at work, we need to make them count.
For people close to home, across the county and around the world.
So, how do great companies do that?
They embed this “enough for all forever” awareness into their organization’s DNA by building a culture for sustainability.
A company’s culture is how each person works, and how they work together, for their customers and stakeholders.
That’s the genius behind Jeana’s new book. She exhaustively interviewed and researched nine leading global companies that have made sustainability part of how they do business. And then laid out a road map for replicating their success.
The companies she picked also happen to be headquartered in or have a large presence in NJ.
For too many years, the cult of “shareholder value” has lead companies to make decisions based on profits first.
That’s changing. And these companies prove it.
Jeana’s book is an essential contribution to the growing realization that not only is being a responsible corporate citizen a good thing for business profitability, it’s also the moral, right, human way for us to conduct ourselves in the world.
And as we race towards a 2 degree centigrade tipping point for our earth’s temperature, it’s also a game-ending race for survival.
As the sustainability expert Andrew Winston has said, “Business cannot succeed in a world that fails.”
In the same way, business cannot succeed if the people involved aren’t working together.
Jeana’s book offers case studies, concrete examples, and a path forward towards a sustainable, prosperous future–for ourselves, business and the world as a whole.
Building a Culture for Sustainability
People, Planet, and Profits in a New Green Economy
Jeana Wirtenberg Ph.D
Foreword by Andrew Winston
This practical, easy-to-understand book sets a path to successfully building a culture for sustainability in today’s global marketplace, providing “best practice” case studies from industries and sectors including manufacturing, business-to-business, hospitality, consumer products, telecommunications, and professional services.
“Sustainability” isn’t merely a buzzword; it’s critical to long-term success.
In their own words, leaders, managers, and employees from nine global companies explain how they are turning their visions into reality. Sustainability and human resources expert Jeana Wirtenberg describes how these companies are transforming challenges into opportunities by opening their minds to the megatrends that will define the future. The vast majority of today’s CEOs consider sustainability essential to their company’s success, yet most do not know how to embed it into their company and its culture. This book guides firms of all types and sizes—from those organizations just starting their journey to sustainability, to those seeking to accelerate their positive impact on people, reduce their negative environmental impact, and improve their bottom line. Wirtenberg shows readers how extraordinary results are possible by engaging the hearts and minds of employees throughout the organization.
Features
• Never-before-published stories and lessons learned from nine successful global companies that are building cultures for sustainability
• Tips from business leaders on how to create purposeful work environments that ignite employees’ passion
• Practical resources: on-the-ground successful programs; proven global and local best practices; top-down and bottom-up strategies and activities; and user-friendly frameworks, tools, and references that help firms at any level of sustainability build a more sustainable culture via increased employee engagement