Three Levels of Sustainable Business

Most companies "going green" are only playing on level one. There are actually

three levels to sustainable business. Level one is just "Operational Optimization." It’s about doing

the same things, but better—reducing waste and following rules to save money. Level two is "Organizational

Transformation." Here, companies change their core philosophy, creating new sustainable

products and embedding "doing good" into their culture. But the final boss is "Systems Building."

This is where companies team up with rivals, governments, and activists to tackle massive global

problems together, completely reframing the purpose of business from being the best *in* the world to

being the best *for* the world.