IMD_SustainabilityReport_Digital

IMD Sustainability Report 2020

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Case studies

IMD published a range of business cases related to sustainability, responsible leadership and social innovation. The cases covered a range of industries such as fashion, tobacco, car manufacturing, and renewable energy, many of which have won awards, such as:

ECOALF: Because there is no planet B IMD Professor Benoit Leleux and Thomas Brochier (IMD MBA 2007) 2020 John Molson International MBA Case Competition winner ECOALF was born from the belief of Javier Goyeneche that something had to be done to ensure the sustainability of the planet. ECOALF was Javier’s personal contribution to the quest for a better, more responsible future: A truly sustainable fashion company that did not use up natural resources but sourced only recycled products harvested from the ocean as raw materials. ECOALF’s early achievements were already making headlines, but positive PR did not free Javier from more mundane financial considerations, as he struggled to raise cash from investors to accelerate the development of the company.

Getting to a critical size was a matter of survival for the company, to gain impact and profitability, and investors wanted to see more of that. That required figuring out the business model, an adequate portfolio mix and other strategic considerations. Building a brand on values was never easy but sustainability superseded those reservations and impacted everyone. Indeed, there was no planet B… “The ECOALF case is significant because it highlights the need to imbed scalability in your business models to truly become sustainable,” said Professor Benoit Leleux. “The case offers poignant issues to discuss, where a balance needs to be found between very emotional dimensions and fundamental business requirements. The key learning is that sustainable impact requires sound business practices, and that the heart and the head do have to find a way to operate in synch.”