How can we build sustainable organizations for a net zero world?

The CEO pivot from profit to purpose: Lessons from COP26 with Accenture

When it comes to sustainability, most CEOs want to change the world for the better. And all around them, there’s pressure to do just that - pressure that many are ill equipped to deal with.

For too long, we have primarily measured the success of our CEOs by financial and shareholder success. Today, as well as being under intense pressure to deliver financial value, our CEOs and business leaders also need to create sustainable and equitable impact.

I spend a lot of time talking to C-suite leaders. When I asked one CEO how he was doing recently, he said, “Boy, I didn't sign up for this.” Like most people I talk to, his heart is invested in these issues, but achieving sustainability goals is something many CEOs and leaders are unprepared for. We’re asking leaders of major organizations to solve a problem facing all of humanity. No wonder so many of them are feeling overwhelmed.

The rise of social, political and economic interests in equity and sustainability is unprecedented. CEOs and business leaders are having to pivot their roles to become global citizens.

The COP26 challenge

The COP26 UN Climate Change Conference has heightened our awareness of sustainability. Last week I had the honor of participating in an Accenture COP26 panel. It was chaired by my colleague Peter Lacy , our Chief Responsibility Officer and Global Sustainability Services Lead. My fellow panelists were Nicole Schwab from the World Economic Forum and Arvind Satyam , Chief Commercial Officer of Pano AI, a specialist in wildfire early detection. As Peter said, we are the first species that are aware of our own extinction, and we have the power to delay it. Together, we explored how leaders can build more sustainable organizations for a net zero world.?We all agreed that what’s good for the planet is also good for business. There’s a broad awareness of sustainability, but there’s a tug of war between short-term profit and long-term sustainability benefits.

The pivot from profit to purpose

Of course, purpose and profit do not have to be competitive forces. They can work hand-in-hand. We do however need to move away from what is often a very singular focus on profit towards a more balanced view. Sustainability offers opportunity for competitive advantage and, ultimately, we all need to aim for a sustainable global economy.

The United Nations Global Compact-Accenture CEO Sustainability Study, Climate Leadership in the Eleventh Hour , found that the most transformational leaders combine market-leading financial performance with sustainability leadership, turning sustainability into business advantage.

What makes a responsible leader?

Sustainable organizations are purpose-led. Their leaders inspire their people and partners to deliver lasting financial performance, equitable impact and societal value that earns and retains the trust of all stakeholders. Accenture and the World Economic Forum’s Shaping the Sustainable Organization report explores this in more detail. It demonstrates that organizations with the most deeply embedded ‘Sustainability DNA’ - the management practices, systems and processes that shape new behaviors and decision-making capabilities - outperform peers by an incredible 21% on both profitability and positive environmental and societal outcomes. Responsible leadership begins with the key leadership attributes of empathy, transparency and trust. It is these attributes that inspire others and enable leaders to execute the sustainability agenda.

People power

?Our people are holding our organizations to account like never before, and they have the power to that. They have choice. As discussed on our panel, people want organizational values to be aligned to their own personal values. Concerns about sustainability influence how and where they choose to work, where they live, what they buy.?They are activists through the choices they make. As leaders, we need to create cultures of sustainability. We need to turn good intentions into positive actions that attract and retain employees and customers.

Join Accenture at COP26

COP26 runs until Friday 12 November and there are more thought-provoking sessions from Accenture you can sign up for . However, when COP26 finishes, our leadership challenges will remain. So, my question to you is, what practical changes are you going to take to address them? I’d love to know.??

Discover more

Watch our COP 26 session, Sustainable Organizations for a Net Zero World :