How to Become an Owl: Turning New Sustainability Regulation into Business Advantage

How should organizations approach potential upcoming regulations linked to environmental (or social) challenges? Should they wait and see, or seek a seat at the decision making table? If the latter, what does it take to get there? This article provides a compelling narrative telling the story of several forward looking executives who collectively helped steer the regulatory landscape in a positive direction in Europe, in the context of electronics recycling regulations. It offers a series of important takeaways for executives seeking to build a proactive regulatory position within the environmental regulation landscape

This article complements the piece titled “Owls Sheep Dodos: Coping with Environmental Regulation” by the same authors by offering an insider perspective on how organizations and leaders can take proactive positions to shape environmental regulations through a positive business lens. It is written to inform executives about the complexity and the ambiguous, evolving nature of environmental regulations. The article is designed for use in executive education programmes or in MBA classes linked to business and sustainability