A small but influential group of mainstream global industry leaders are now reinventing the role of business in society. They are shifting the focus away from minimizing negative impacts to offering new solutions to global problems that the public sector has been unable to tackle alone. In this new competitive environment, societal challenges such as climate change or the alleviation of global poverty are not only risks, but huge business opportunities, not only for niche players, but for mainstream business.  These leaders are creating "Sustainable Value". They are creating it through the provision of value to both their shareholders and their stakeholders – an ever-growing list of diverse constituents impacted by the social, environmental, and financial performance of global business. In short, they are doing well by doing good.  In this outstanding book, Chris Laszlo defines, illustrates, and shows how business can action 'Sustainable Value' in three profoundly different ways. First, a management fable looks at the experiences of a dynamic business leader as she grapples with the new business realities of managing stakeholder, as well as shareholder pressures. Second, with the real thing – inside stories from some of the largest corporations in the world that are successfully integrating sustainability into their core activities, not only from a sense of moral correctness, but because it makes good business sense. And, finally, with frameworks, tools, and methods that will make sustainable value creation concrete for business practitioners everywhere.  This book is a masterful synthesis – part novel and part executive briefing – a refreshing kind of prophetic pragmatism, helping leaders anticipate and see the future in the context of the actual. In Sustainable Value Chris Laszlo speaks with resounding clarity to the living challenges, the real dilemmas, and haunting questions of CEOs everywhere.

Laszlo intends this book not for the sustainability professional but rather the not-yet-tuned-in executive. It's basically three books in one. It starts with a fictional account of an executive's transition to understanding sustainability. Next it provides a set of high-profit case studies (DuPont, Wal-Mart, Lafarge and NatureWorks/Cargill). Last, the book basically summarizes Laszlo's previous work on creating value. He identifies 8 disciplines: 1 Understand the current value position 2 Anticipate future expectations 3 Set sustainable value goals 4 Design value creation initiatives 5 Develop the business case 6 Capture the value 7 Validate results and capture learning 8 Build sustainable value and organizational capacity As usual, Laszlo does a wonderful job of explaining sustainability from a hard-nosed business perspective. I really like how he frames sustainability as providing value for shareholders without destroying value for other stakeholders. This could be a good first book to introduce an executive to sustainability. Make sure he or she doesn't skip the two Forewords from Unilever and Wal-Mart as these are powerful statements. This book will resonate more with large multi-nationals than SMEs. -- Darcy Hitchcock * AXIS Newsflash *

CHRIS LASZLO is Visiting Professor at the Case Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, where he is also Associate Director for Corporate Strategy and Design at the Center for Business as Agent of World Benefit.