In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Christine Rodwell — former Vice President, Social & Sustainable Impact at Renault and Former Vice President, Business Development Cities at Veolia.

Together, they discuss how the role of sustainability in corporate strategy has changed over time. Looking ahead, companies need to clearly define the impact they want to create for society; develop a focused sustainability strategy aligned with that vision; and fully embed sustainability into the core of the business and in every employees’ incentives to deliver on that strategy. Companies that succeed stand to gain tremendous value: attracting and retaining the best talent, reinforcing and expanding the license to operate, boosting innovation, and unlocking access to new markets. Christine shares concrete examples of how she helped make that happen at Veolia and Renault, “walking the talk” on sustainability.