From Ambition to Action: Why We Need New Toolkits to Operationalize Sustainability

In “From Ambition to Action: Why We Need New Toolkits to Operationalize Sustainability,” Yat Ming Ooi argues that while sustainability has become a core pillar of modern business strategy, practitioners in innovation and R&D are still missing the practical tools needed to turn ambition into action. Leaders are fluent in the why of sustainability—net zero, responsible innovation, nature-positive design—but lack the concrete methods to embed these goals into everyday decisions about portfolios, products, and processes. Ooi frames this as a “practitioner’s dilemma”: existing management frameworks were built for a linear, resource-abundant economy and are ill-suited for the systemic, long-term challenges sustainability demands. The article calls for a new generation of actionable frameworks that bridge this gap. Ooi outlines four priority areas: retooling portfolio management to capture holistic value beyond ROI; systematizing decarbonization through data-driven roadmaps; equipping teams with nature-inspired design tools such as green chemistry, biomimicry, and regenerative design; and integrating the social dimension through responsible innovation and impact measurement. Together, these tools would move sustainability from abstract principle to operational reality. The piece closes with a call to both scholars and practitioners to co-create and share rigorously tested, field-ready methods—arguing that the success of the sustainability transition will hinge not on vision alone, but on our collective ability to execute.