Inspired by C.K. Prahalad’s “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid”, Novartis was exploring ways to build a sustainable business for the BOP in India that would improve access to healthcare for the poor while being financially profitable, unlike Novartis's traditional philanthropic and corporate social responsibility approaches.

This case describes the successful implementation of sustainable operations at Pfizer's Freiburg production facility in Germany. It charts the planning and execution of an ambitious portfolio of projects directed toward energy efficiency, with significant financial, social and environmental impacts.