Sustainability in Business: 5 Key Facts for Medium-Sized Companies
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What the Webinar Discussion revealed and Why Should Medium Size Businesses Prioritise Sustainability
This note summarizes key takeaways from the Global Advisory Alliance’s 24 February webinar: From Obligation to Business Value: Should Medium-Sized Businesses Prioritise Sustainability?
The speakers were:
+ Susanne Stormer, Chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board at the Global Reporting Initiative
+ Andreas Rusche, Professor of Business in Society and Associate Dean at Copenhagen Business School.
+ Ole Bach Andersen, Former Business Vice President in global IT consulting firms and Managing Director of SustainImpact.
And the moderator was Jennifer Ryan, sustainability director, Martinez Consultancy and former editor and journalist at Bloomberg News
Sustainability as Business Strategy and Value Creation
Stormer framed sustainability as a core strategy rather than a compliance exercise.
Reporting as a Strategic Management Tool
Rasche emphasised that CSRD and double materiality were underappreciated when they’re viewed just as compliance tasks.
Practical Integration: How Sustainability Creates Value in Practice
Andersen said that rather than treating sustainability as a standalone initiative, firms can integrate it into strategy, services, and everyday decision-making.
Policy Lessons: Pace, Capacity, and Implementation Challenges
Panelists highlighted that the EU’s sustainability agenda placed significant strain on company capacity.
Executive and Board-Level Priorities
For C‑suite leaders, sustainability competes with - but is also interconnected with - geopolitics, AI, and operational priorities.
Practical Recommendations from Each Speaker
• Andreas Rasche: Engage the board — ensure leadership has the competence to assess sustainability risks and opportunities.
• Ole Bach Andersen: Conduct a simple double materiality assessment to prioritise actions that matter for both business performance and planetary impact.
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- Regulatory pressure may be easing in the EU, but market pressure is not — customers, lenders, insurers, and employees continue to demand clear evidence of sustainability risk management.
- Double materiality is not just compliance — it helps firms identify financial risks and opportunities, integrate sustainability into finance, and strengthen internal governance.
- Medium-sized firms can apply a “lightweight” approach to sustainability — using simple assessments to prioritise actions that create both business and environmental value.
- Many organisations were not prepared for the speed of EU regulation — reporting requirements expanded faster than internal capabilities, data systems, and audit frameworks.
- Board engagement remains a critical gap — without the right competence at leadership level, companies risk mispricing threats, missing opportunities, and weakening strategic decisions.
GAA Board & Executive Briefing
A focused 90-minute session designed for board members and senior executives.You address the most pressing questions around sustainability and its impact on your business.We focus on where sustainability affects:risk, cost, growth, and access to capital and clients.You leave with clear, actionable priorities to strengthen decision-making at leadership level.
10-day governance diagnostic
You receive a structured review of how sustainability is embedded across your strategy, operations, and governance.The assessment focuses on:data quality, decision-usefulness, risk integration, and alignment with financial priorities.You get a concise memo with practical recommendations your leadership team can act on immediately.
Meet our expert team of advisors
The advice you need comes from people who have actually done it. Every GAA member has led change at board level, built sustainability strategy from scratch, or navigated governance failure in real time. No juniors. Just experienced advisors who know what works.
A simple way to get started
Every organisation has different priorities. These entry points give you a way to begin without overcommitting. Test a question, validate direction and access the right expertise. From there, you decide if and how to expand the work.
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