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How Corporate Boards Can Get Serious About Sustainability Issues

Stepping back, we found five distinct types of board members when it comes to sustainability.

• The Deniers, who see sustainability as nothing more than a buzzword and tend to use PR or corporate communications to “greenwash” their company’s activities.
• The Hardheaded, whose attitude to sustainability is reduced to short-term strategic reasoning. How can costs be minimized? Are there market opportunities?
• The Superficial, who are well-meaning but have a shallow understanding of what sustainability means for their company.
• The Complacent, early adopters of CSR initiatives who may have fallen behind, letting good practice get in the way of best practice.
• The True Believers, for whom the long-term economic viability of their organization is closely linked to and dependent on social and environmental responsibility.