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Killing Sustainability
It's time to change the conversation about corporate sustainability.
Killing Sustainability is the blunt truth about why many executives hesitate to invest in sustainability, social responsibility and investor-oriented environmental/social/governance (ESG) programs, how sustainability/CSR professionals create credibility problems in their organizations and how to use behavioral economics and credible financial valuation methods to overcome these barriers. Based on three and one-half decades of advising Fortune 500 companies, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, US Departments of State and Commerce and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on environmental management, responsible supply chains, sustainability, risk management and non-financial auditing, author Lawrence M. Heim delivers what others in the sustainability/CSR/ESG world won't talk about. Attacking current corporate groupthink on the value of corporate sustainability and social responsibility, the book includes research and developments current up to the January 2018 World Economic Forum's 10th Annual Global Risk Report.
Killing Sustainability reveals historical attitudes that continue to impact executive actions today, how sustainability/CSR professionals create credibility problems in organizations and ways to apply behavioral economics and credible financial valuation methods.
Instead of offering a formulaic list of cliche projects, Heim gives readers in-depth understanding of barriers that exist in convincing the C-suite and consumers of sustainability/CSR's value, then provides frameworks and approaches for communicating in a way that is meaningful to specific audiences, including the all-important economic justification.
In other words, rather than serving the reader a single meal, Heim teaches readers how to cook, and cook well.
Some of the topics covered:
what does "Killing Sustainability" really mean and why is it necessary?
historical foundations of why executives are cynical about sustainability
the impact of the supply chain, and related limitations
the truth about CSR audits and why buyers bear much responsibility for audit outcomes
applying the latest research in behavioral economics, accounting and financial valuation methods
why consumers lie about buying sustainable/ethical products
reasons for AVOIDING linking sustainability/CSR to your company's stock price
the Plague of executive short-term thinking and management
painful realities of internal perceptions and bias about sustainability organizations and leaders
reviews and ratings of a handful of sustainability's "shiny new objects" - including ESG ratings for investors - which the author calls "squirrels".
Written in an informal and easy-to-read style using minimal jargon. Clear and concise for a quick read. Pragmatic guidance on successfully communicating with executives and finding the right opportunities.
This book will appeal to not only sustainability, CSR & ESG practitioners, but also to executives, accountants, investors, those in administrative functions supporting these initiatives and students looking for a different perspective on the matter.
Killing Sustainability is the blunt truth about why many executives hesitate to invest in sustainability, social responsibility and investor-oriented environmental/social/governance (ESG) programs, how sustainability/CSR professionals create credibility problems in their organizations and how to use behavioral economics and credible financial valuation methods to overcome these barriers. Based on three and one-half decades of advising Fortune 500 companies, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, US Departments of State and Commerce and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on environmental management, responsible supply chains, sustainability, risk management and non-financial auditing, author Lawrence M. Heim delivers what others in the sustainability/CSR/ESG world won't talk about. Attacking current corporate groupthink on the value of corporate sustainability and social responsibility, the book includes research and developments current up to the January 2018 World Economic Forum's 10th Annual Global Risk Report.
Killing Sustainability reveals historical attitudes that continue to impact executive actions today, how sustainability/CSR professionals create credibility problems in organizations and ways to apply behavioral economics and credible financial valuation methods.
Instead of offering a formulaic list of cliche projects, Heim gives readers in-depth understanding of barriers that exist in convincing the C-suite and consumers of sustainability/CSR's value, then provides frameworks and approaches for communicating in a way that is meaningful to specific audiences, including the all-important economic justification.
In other words, rather than serving the reader a single meal, Heim teaches readers how to cook, and cook well.
Some of the topics covered:
what does "Killing Sustainability" really mean and why is it necessary?
historical foundations of why executives are cynical about sustainability
the impact of the supply chain, and related limitations
the truth about CSR audits and why buyers bear much responsibility for audit outcomes
applying the latest research in behavioral economics, accounting and financial valuation methods
why consumers lie about buying sustainable/ethical products
reasons for AVOIDING linking sustainability/CSR to your company's stock price
the Plague of executive short-term thinking and management
painful realities of internal perceptions and bias about sustainability organizations and leaders
reviews and ratings of a handful of sustainability's "shiny new objects" - including ESG ratings for investors - which the author calls "squirrels".
Written in an informal and easy-to-read style using minimal jargon. Clear and concise for a quick read. Pragmatic guidance on successfully communicating with executives and finding the right opportunities.
This book will appeal to not only sustainability, CSR & ESG practitioners, but also to executives, accountants, investors, those in administrative functions supporting these initiatives and students looking for a different perspective on the matter.
174 pages, Paperback
Published January 25, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 15, 2022
The book provides rich suggestions and information regarding the application of sustainability within business field. Author starts from the criticisms of the problems within management, reporting, auditing and executives’ perspectives and provides the trends and the keys for leveraging the changes.
What I enjoy is the different aspects of the solutions included in the book including the business, economics and strategy and communication. The book is easy to understand and follow. Especially recommend for those who want to step into the sustainability service field or doesn’t have the related background.
What I enjoy is the different aspects of the solutions included in the book including the business, economics and strategy and communication. The book is easy to understand and follow. Especially recommend for those who want to step into the sustainability service field or doesn’t have the related background.
September 30, 2025
Didn’t really learn anything new or groundbreaking, so I’d maybe recommend it more to someone at the start of their sustainability career. It also felt very outdated but that’s my own fault; the author published a new version recently and I didn’t see it. Good call - it was needed with how fast the industry is changing.
May 13, 2018
Provides a lot of little nice ideas and some good stories
The book's structure is a little funky.Also the constant usage of abreviations (without being accompanied by the full version) makes the book sliggtly hard to read at times.
However, it's really not that bad in those aspects.
The good aspects are many though! The book is one of the least repetitive ones I've seen. The author keeps providing info from the beginning to the end. As such you'll find out about how sustainability works in supply chains, how companies and management see it, how auditors deal with it, what happens in the world of stocks (didn't know there were such things as "green/social bonds"), how sustainabiloty influences stock prices, how different reporting standards are perceived by the author, and even psychological reminders of human biases when in the sustainability context.
To me, having had only a technical/physical understanding of environmental issues (and a passive understanding of social ones), this book is very approachable, and full of new perspectives on these issues.
This book is a good short-ish read, I recommend it for anyone with more than a passive interest in sustainability.
The book's structure is a little funky.Also the constant usage of abreviations (without being accompanied by the full version) makes the book sliggtly hard to read at times.
However, it's really not that bad in those aspects.
The good aspects are many though! The book is one of the least repetitive ones I've seen. The author keeps providing info from the beginning to the end. As such you'll find out about how sustainability works in supply chains, how companies and management see it, how auditors deal with it, what happens in the world of stocks (didn't know there were such things as "green/social bonds"), how sustainabiloty influences stock prices, how different reporting standards are perceived by the author, and even psychological reminders of human biases when in the sustainability context.
To me, having had only a technical/physical understanding of environmental issues (and a passive understanding of social ones), this book is very approachable, and full of new perspectives on these issues.
This book is a good short-ish read, I recommend it for anyone with more than a passive interest in sustainability.
November 30, 2025
Killing sustainability to save sustainability
In this third and final book for my Sustainability Management Tools class, Mr. Heim makes compelling, logical arguments for sustainability professionals to chill out on higher minded sustainability thinking and focus on the particulars of professional circumstance as well as the ultimate business case for sustainability: long-term profits. Considering the sustainability business as its own economic ecosystem, there is a lot of confusion and waste from muddled claims and messaging to untangle to actually achieve sustainability goals. I enjoyed the short historical context as well as the "five guys" chapter that included applicable tidbits from Milton Friedman to George Lakoff to Richard Thaler. I was not previously familiar with the framing concepts of Lakoff, but they seem eminently useful and relate to ideas I've had without previously realizing an articulation of them. The jargon section was a little overbearing, but the point was taken. Overall, the book is a light read with lots of practical tips and the points are easily understood.
In this third and final book for my Sustainability Management Tools class, Mr. Heim makes compelling, logical arguments for sustainability professionals to chill out on higher minded sustainability thinking and focus on the particulars of professional circumstance as well as the ultimate business case for sustainability: long-term profits. Considering the sustainability business as its own economic ecosystem, there is a lot of confusion and waste from muddled claims and messaging to untangle to actually achieve sustainability goals. I enjoyed the short historical context as well as the "five guys" chapter that included applicable tidbits from Milton Friedman to George Lakoff to Richard Thaler. I was not previously familiar with the framing concepts of Lakoff, but they seem eminently useful and relate to ideas I've had without previously realizing an articulation of them. The jargon section was a little overbearing, but the point was taken. Overall, the book is a light read with lots of practical tips and the points are easily understood.
July 3, 2019
Novel book on sustainability
The book starts with an ambition to transform how people think about sustainability and largely ends up doing what it promised. Read it if you want a jargon free and witty view of esg
The book starts with an ambition to transform how people think about sustainability and largely ends up doing what it promised. Read it if you want a jargon free and witty view of esg
May 10, 2020
Useful!
I was on my decision to build up skills for CSR/sustainability. This book gives me a very exact overview of this career and some advice on thinking change! Highly recommended for those who are interested in CSR/sustainability in business!
I was on my decision to build up skills for CSR/sustainability. This book gives me a very exact overview of this career and some advice on thinking change! Highly recommended for those who are interested in CSR/sustainability in business!
March 13, 2019
Great, short read
This is a great summary of an important area of corporate activity and reporting. Nice comment boxes make it actionable.
This is a great summary of an important area of corporate activity and reporting. Nice comment boxes make it actionable.
October 2, 2024
The book was adequate and perhaps suitable for beginners, but as I dive deeper into the subject, it feels repetitive and redundant. There were a few interesting insights, but overall, it’s largely forgettable
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews