How to navigate 6 common barriers to embedding sustainability
A great plan can still run into roadblocks during the implementation phase. Here's how to avoid getting stuck. Read More

Editor’s note: This is the final article in a series about how companies can integrate sustainability into their core business strategies. The previous articles in the series describe how to assess your company’s sustainability strategy, how to identify material ESG factors and stakeholders, develop your company’s business strategy, make the internal business case for sustainability investment, cultivate a culture of sustainability, optimize board governance and align communications strategy.This article addresses typical barriers that sustainability professionals may encounter as they work to embed sustainability within their organizations.
Even with a clear roadmap, implementing sustainability into core business strategies can have its challenges. After all, your company may have been running successfully for decades, and change can be difficult. With that in mind, we put together a list of common barriers that can arise, along with suggestions on how to keep moving forward.
No. 1: Knowledge gaps
“Our employees know that sustainability is important, but they don’t have the knowledge they need to take action.”
Start by identifying the knowledge gaps across the organization and determine the appropriate education or training that’s needed. This can range from general knowledge of sustainability trends in the industry to more technical training for designing and implementing sustainable products and production. For technical issues, you may need to bring in consultants, academics or other practitioners. If there are budget constraints, you may be able to share the educational cost across departments or include it in the budget for the following year.
No. 2: Sustainability excluded in KPIs
“Sustainability is not in my KPIs, or may even conflict with my KPIs.”
We often hear that sustainability may be absent from KPIs outside of the sustainability function, or may even conflict with them, such as when there’s a strict cost reduction target in procurement. In a survey with 1,056 employee respondents conducted by The Center for Sustainable Business at the University of Pittsburgh and The Harris Poll, 45 percent of respondents identified the belief among employees that “sustainability is someone else’s responsibility” as a challenge. You can work with departments and the broader sustainability committee to identify where these conflicts or gaps may exist to better align individual KPIs with the company’s broader sustainability goals.
No. 3: Questioning consumer interest
“I am having some difficulty in making the consumer argument.”
NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) Sustainable Market Share Index examined the U.S. sales of 36 consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories and found that products marketed as sustainable on packaging commanded a price premium of nearly 28 percent over conventionally marketed products in 2022. Use this type of data, and seek input from across your organization to quantify both the direct and indirect value to help make the case for consumer interest. Do customer teams report requests for more sustainable products for B2B companies? Will a new sustainable product help you attract new customers with a lower customer acquisition cost? These considerations can be modeled and presented as a business case.
No. 4: Fear of failure
“We are concerned about setting aggressive public (or even internal) goals for fear of missing them. We want to go far enough, while also being realistic.”
This is a great concern at a time of increased company scrutiny and legislative uncertainty, making it all the more important to set meaningful goals and for your results to be transparent. For support in setting ambitious but attainable goals, you can:
- Use a reputable ESG data management system such as Workiva or SAP to track and audit ESG data. This will provide accurate benchmarking and back up claims that are made about progress.
- Align your goal setting with trusted organizations such as the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to provide credibility
- Use third-party certifications where possible. Regulators appear to support certifications, which are even called out in European regulations.
Putting robust effort into determining your targets and action plans as well as the investment needs for meeting those targets will be key to developing an ambitious but authentic plan.
No. 5: Quantifying sustainability value
“With continued ESG backlash, how do I make the case to stay the course?”
Embedding sustainability creates enterprise value. Creating resilience, reducing environmental and operational waste and treating workers within your company and supply chains fairly all create financial value. Using the Return on Sustainability Investment methodology will help you highlight the benefits of your existing and planned sustainability initiatives, and make the business case to continue to work towards sustainability goals.
No. 6: Feeling stuck
“There’s so much I feel stuck in bureaucratic inertia.”
Change can feel slow. Change can be slow! Go through the steps that we have outlined and work your way through them. Some points are sequential while others can occur out of sequence. As an example, if you are waiting for a full change-management strategy, start the process yourself by offering to hold sustainability discussions at department meetings. This can help you identify internal sustainability champions in different departments to whom you can start asking the right questions and get the ball rolling.
Whatever the circumstances and barriers, this is incredibly valuable work. Keep working with leaders and across departments to develop and implement initiatives that address social, socioeconomic and environmental issues. Refer back to this series and “Practitioners’ Guide to Embedding Sustainability” for guidance. Good luck!
