A Conceptual Data Model for Sustainability Tools

Abstract

In response to environmental degradation and social inequality, nations have expressed the need for a sustainable development trajectory, most notably through the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals. As the pressure to comply with sustainability commitments increases and governments gain greater insight into the environmental and social performance of different sectors, organizations will need to find new ways to meaningfully generate sustainable value. However, implementation remains difficult because sustainability is a complex issue that requires systems thinking, a macro-vision, and a multidisciplinary approach. Sustainability toolkits can help organizations overcome these challenges by providing them with a diverse array of frameworks and strategies to follow. If stakeholders choose the wrong tool or use tools incorrectly, however, they run the risk of losing valuable resources and contributing to greenwashing. Thus, there is a need to guide stakeholders in decision making around sustainability tools themselves. In an effort to contribute to the field of research supporting the sustainability transition, this study aims to develop a conceptual data model to organize a sustainability toolkit in a manner that supports practitioners in selecting tools and subsequently utilize this organizational structure to reveal insights about an existing sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation toolkit, known as the ENHANCE toolkit.