Why is it so important for firms to take sustainability seriously? In this episode of the INSEAD Explains Sustainability series, INSEAD Professor of Marketing Amitava Chattopadhyay explains how sustainability gives companies a competitive advantage. In fact, it is vital to firms that want to meet the changing expectations of their customers and employees.

The GlaxoSmithKline Chaired Professor of Corporate Innovation believes that it is possible for projects to achieve both social impact and profitability. He cites the example of AAK, a global oils and fats company, which embarked on sustainable operations that respond to consumers' desire for more sustainable products through ethical sourcing and processes. 

He also explores how corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives can act as ideal test beds to create sustainability projects that can be scaled. Afterall, the amount of good that can be done with a scalable project that has both social impact and profit associated with it is significantly larger.