Net Positive Labs partnered with Ever Sustainable on a collaborative research initiative exploring how sustainability departments can evolve into stronger drivers of organisational transformation.
The work examined how practitioner networks, stronger institutional positioning, and practical strategic frameworks can help sustainability teams gain influence within companies and accelerate the adoption of circular economy strategies.
As sustainability becomes increasingly central to corporate strategy, many organisations have established dedicated sustainability departments responsible for guiding environmental initiatives and long-term transformation efforts.
However, these teams often operate with limited authority, fragmented data, and unclear mandates, while being expected to influence corporate strategy, reshape supply chains, and support new business models.
Ever Sustainable works with sustainability professionals and organisations to strengthen the capabilities required to navigate this transition. In collaboration with Net Positive Labs, the initiative explored how sustainability departments can evolve into more influential agents of organisational change.
The collaboration focused on examining how sustainability professionals can strengthen their strategic influence within organisations.
A central element of the work explored how networks of sustainability practitioners enable the exchange of knowledge, tools, and practical experience across companies and sectors. These networks help sustainability leaders move beyond isolated experimentation and develop more effective approaches to organisational change.
The research also examined how sustainability departments can transition from compliance-oriented roles toward more strategic positions within organisations. This included developing conceptual frameworks on how sustainability teams can better inform corporate strategy and coordinate cross-functional initiatives such as circular economy transitions.
The collaboration generated insights into how sustainability departments can strengthen their institutional influence and act as more effective drivers of organisational transformation.
It also laid the foundation for a longer-term research agenda exploring sustainability leadership and the dynamics of “green power brokering” within organisations.
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