A Business Case for Sustainability

Final Project Your final project involves the completion of your business case for sustainability by completing steps A, C, and D of the Natural Step Framework. The information for this assignment has been taken from NIKE, Inc at www.naturalstep.org As you are aware, the framework is a step­by­step planning process that can be depicted as follows: In the A­step the firm undertakes training to share the principles of sustainability. In the B­step the firm performs a baseline analysis to assess sustainability issues. The SLCA tool, to which you were introduced in module 1, is employed. In the C­step, the firm creates vision that is workable within the constraints provided by the sustainability principles. This provides a more specific direction and set of goals toward which to work. In the D­step, actions and prioritized and action is taken. By utilizing this four­step process of creating awareness, doing baseline analysis, visioning, and getting down to action by setting and managing priorities, you can build your business case for sustainability and also more easily measure and test your business case’s goals and strategies against the four system conditions. Here are some things to think about as you are organizing your paper, before you actually begin to write. Begin with the awareness piece. From where within NIKE could significant sustainability improvements come? These improvements could relate to any of a number of areas: energy usage, facilities, shipping, employee travel, personnel policies, raw materials, and/or waste generated, etc.. Think about the sustainability principles and the key steps in the product life cycle.

What are the sustainability drivers at NIKE ? Who are the catalysts that you would want to engage? What mental models you are apt to encounter? Which skills and techniques are you going to use for your stakeholder interviews? Show that you understand and can apply the skills and techniques discussed in the textbook. Fold in your Sustainability Life Cycle Analysis (SLCA). Make use of your midterm assignment. The SLCA is the baseline assessment of the current state of the company, and you should make mention of it as you compose your business plan. Describe NIKE’s compelling vision. In your own words, lay out NIKE’s vision for what operating sustainably can mean for the company both in the short term and in the long term. How might NIKE utilize the sustainable value matrix while raising the ethical issues that Nike faced and the importance of leadership in working to create a regenerative enterprise. Outline NIKE’s overall action plan. Which initiatives were most critical to NIKE and how did they impact the various stakeholders? Think of the triple bottom line: profit, people and planet. Where was NIKE able to reduce expenses or increase revenue with their sustainability initiatives? How did NIKE make their communities or the parts off their supply chain safer and healthier? How did they reduce waste and their environmental impact? What measurements did they institute in order to follow their progress? What are some of the challenges that NIKE has faced with their global organization, and what are some of the benefits of running a global organization?

In this paper you are to build a business case for sustainability that is convincing and that reflects the concepts in the course materials. Your mentor is not necessarily concerned that you cover every question outlined above. The important thing is for you to lay out a cogent, well­argued business case for sustainability using NIKE as your information base and incorporating as many strategies and techniques from your reading and your research as possible to help you make your case. Your final paper should be organized, cogently argued,and creative. Please consult the Final Project Rubric, found in the Evaluation Rubrics area of the course site. Your paper should be between 2000 and 2500 words in length (with a typical font and spacing this will be between 8 and 10 pages). You will use the following resources to learn about NIKE, Inc.: All NIKE case studies Information about NIKE from the Senge text

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