Model Behaviour

20 Business Model Innovations for Sustainability (Report)

The idea of business model innovation ”that a company could launch a new business model never conceived of before, or transform an existing business model” has long captivated business leaders. Yet, executives are often held back by vested interests in their current approach: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But as global trends: “environmental, social, political, technological” continue to shift the foundations of our current business models, incremental innovation will become less effective in enabling companies, industries and whole economies to adapt and succeed. There is an urgent need for fundamentally different approaches to value creation.

The team at SustainAbility has long recognized and advocated the need for fundamental shifts in business practice, including in business models, both to drive necessary progress toward, and to unlock business value from sustainability. Such shifts are all the more urgent and relevant today, given slow progress on sustainable development broadly and accelerating innovation and disruption (both positive and negative) already playing out in many industries.

The above is the basis for the report, Model Behavior: 20 Business Model Innovations for Sustainability/a>, which explores the role and practice of business model innovation in the context of sustainability. In it, SustainAbility break down the innovative models weâ€™re seeing, trying to better understand their origins, mechanics and implications. In doing so, it’s hoped to induce more focused conversation about business model innovation, going beyond merely marveling at each new car-sharing company or crowdfunding site, and delving deeper into how such innovation comes about, and how we can catalyze more of it.

Download the report, click here!