Sustainability Embedding Practices in Dutch Listed Companies

Abstract

[This research report examines why and how sustainability is being embedded by Dutch listed companies. It paints a picture of the state of the art in company sustainability embedding for 2020 and has a special focus on the roles of the management and supervisory boards given their prominence in many strategic decisions on sustainability. Using desk research and interview findings, we shed light on the main drivers and motivations for why company leadership sets goals and targets for sustainability embedding. We also examine how companies integrate sustainability into their purpose statements and strategies; how they organise their governance structures to implement and oversee the sustainability embedding process; and how they manage their supply chain, sustainability reporting, employees, and culture as a response to the growing societal demand for transparency in sustainability embedding. Based on these findings, we also provide four recommendations to advise how companies can further improve their sustainability embedding. Our research design uses both desk research and interviews to examine a sample of 35 Dutch companies listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and which are constituents of the AEX, AMX, and AScX indices. For the desk research, we reviewed the 2020 annual reports and the latest information and documents from company websites. For the interviews, we conducted 88 interviews with 97 interviewees including 14 CEOs, five CFOs, 19 supervisory board members and 31 sustainability managers.]

Keywords: [Sustainability Embedding, Sustainable Governance, Corporate Purpose, Planetary Boundaries]

JEL Classification: M14, Q56, G15