The PI Ambition Level Concept 

One size fits nobody – find the ambitions that could fit your strategy:

Typically, frameworks like ESG ratings or reporting frameworks promote a one-size-fits-all approach to integrate sustainability into your business. In our experience, successful sustainability integration requires an ambition-driven concept that fits your business strategy.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, every road will get you nowhere” (H. Kissinger)

Defining the “right” ambition level is key for determining the fit-for-purpose strategy integration approach:

The following categories classify the ambition of integrating sustainability into five levels Legal Compliance: „It's not our job to fix that “ > Unless it is prohibited, it is fine to do it / invest in it Stakeholder Compliance: „We'll just do as much as we have to“ >We always act within the law and obey minimum (ethical) standards of our stakeholders if (contractually) required Pragmatic: „This is part of our daily operations“ >We manage blatant risks and opportunities where they emerge in our operative business / in our investments Strategic: „It gives us a competitive advantage“ >We proactively manage opportunities and risks of our business / our investments and thereby gain a competitive advantage / generate superior returns Sustainability-driven: „We need to make sure everybody does it“ >Economic success goes hand in hand with creating value for society

We use five ambition levels for the PI approach as a basis to understand where you are today and where you want to be. Choosing the right ambition depends on several factors that shape your risk and opportunity profile, e.g.

  • Level and dynamic of societal impacts of the markets you operate in
  • Status quo of sustainability integration
  • Positioning of peers, customers, and investors
  • Consumer response
  • Legislative responses and initiatives

Not sure where you are today and where you want to be? Interested in finding out at which level your peers are? We offer individual consulting and analyses that help you answer that – get in touch!

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Find out how we analyse where your gaps are with regards to your ambition and how we translate that into a tailored strategy integration:

The PI Analysis Framework The PI Strategy Approach