A road map to help companies plan for a more sustainable future was offered Wednesday by Ceres.
The Ceres Roadmap 2030 outlines actions that companies should start taking now and over the coming decade to help stabilize the climate, protect water and natural resources, and build a more inclusive economy.
"Once considered tangential to business decision-making, environmental, social and governance factors have now become business imperatives — and, for those companies with foresight, sustainable business strategies are also a pathway to stable, profitable, long-term economic growth and social prosperity," the report's introduction said.
Along with recommendations on strategic planning, corporate governance and disclosure, the report calls for companies to become advocates for institutional change in corporate decision-making.
Kristen Lang, senior program director of the Ceres Company Network, and lead author of the road map, said in a statement that sustainability challenges "are here and they are now, and companies now face a choice between thriving or merely surviving."
James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Co. said in the same statement that his company "must tackle global systemic risks that threaten the health and prosperity of the broader economy and the planet."
Mr. Quincey called the Ceres Roadmap 2030 "a bold action plan for companies to grow and strengthen their businesses while taking on critical environmental and social issues."
