First, the sustainable companies tend to reframe their identities through leaders at the top who are truly committed to drive the process. They take long-term views for building company success and they are willing to tolerate more risk in pursuit of sustainability than are the traditional companies. They have a strong business case for pursuing sustainable strategies and they integrate sustainability considerations into their decision-making.
A second way that these companies build a new identity is by reaching out across traditional boundaries to external stakeholders such as competitors, customers, NGOs and suppliers.