Over the past years, attention to the sustainability performance of individual products and broader business solutions has increased substantially. Recent global agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals underpin the importance of improving sustainability performance. In support of  these and other global ambitions, companies increasingly use Portfolio Sustainability Assessments (PSA) to proactively steer their overall product portfolios towards improved sustainability performance. Many companies have started to develop in-house PSA methodologies – a number of which have already demonstrated tangible business value and delivered meaningful new information for stakeholders and customers.

Companies who have adopted PSA methods indicate that improved sustainability performance has resulted in tangible business benefits, such as:

1. Better decisions, more robust strategies
2. Higher growth rate for more sustainable solutions
3. Credible communication on sustainability benefits
4. Stronger customer and stakeholder relationships
5. Reduced risks
6. Improved corporate image