# Harvard Business Review: The Politics of Sustainability Have Changed. The Business Case Hasn’t.

Center for Sustainable Business

— October 7, 2026

by [Tensie Whelan](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/tensie-whelan)

![HBR LOGO](/sites/default/files/styles/492w/public/2026-10/harvard_business_review_logo_2024.png.webp?itok=Zof6HLO_)

In her October 7, 2026, *Harvard Business Review* article, “The Politics of Sustainability Have Changed. The Business Case Hasn’t.,” **Tensie Whelan**, Professor of Practice Emerita and Senior Advisor at the **NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business (CSB)**, examines why sustainability remains integral to business strategy amid shifting political and economic priorities.

Drawing on research behind CSB’s **Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI™) methodology**, Whelan highlights four areas that can strengthen financial performance: **circularity, decarbonization, sustainable sourcing, and employee well-being**.

Her argument centers on managing the environmental and social issues that materially affect a business, and measuring how addressing them can reduce costs and risks, improve productivity, and generate revenue.

[**Read the full article in Harvard Business Review.**](https://hbr.org/2026/10/the-politics-of-sustainability-have-changed-the-business-case-hasnt)

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