The Ultimate Disruption - by Atalay Atasu & Luk Van Wassenhove (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Sustainable business is no longer optional--it's the strategy that will determine who leads and who gets left behind.

Climate change is not just a future threat--it's a current reality, reshaping markets, supply chains, and entire industries. Rising temperatures, resource scarcity, and mounting waste are driving regulatory pressure, investor scrutiny, and consumer demand for sustainable practices. For business leaders, this isn't just an operational challenge--it's a strategic disruption. Companies that fail to adapt risk being swept aside by forces they can no longer ignore.

In The Ultimate Disruption: Rethinking Business in a World Transformed by Climate Change, INSEAD professors Atalay Atasu and Luk Van Wassenhove provide an essential road map for thriving in this new era. Drawing on decades of research and real-world case studies, they show why sustainability must be treated as a core business imperative, not a compliance exercise or marketing slogan. The authors introduce a framework for rethinking strategy, redefining value propositions, and reinventing business models to integrate environmental value alongside customer utility and profit.

Through compelling examples--from Polygreen's zero-waste transformation on a Greek island to Schneider Electric's global decarbonization initiatives--the book illustrates how companies are turning environmental constraints into opportunities for innovation and growth. Each chapter tackles critical steps: building the business case for sustainability; revisiting value potential; overcoming operational and scaling challenges; and leveraging partnerships, tech, and new business models to deliver shared value and profitability.

Sustainability is no longer a cost--it's a competitive advantage. The Ultimate Disruption equips leaders with the strategies and tools to navigate the climate-driven transformation of business ecosystems and emerge stronger than ever.

About the Author

Atalay Atasu is a professor of technology and operations management and the Bianca and James Pitt Chair in Environmental Sustainability at INSEAD. He is also the academic director of the INSEAD Sustainable Business Initiative. His research has appeared in Management Science, Harvard Business Review, and California Management Review.

Luk Van Wassenhove is an emeritus professor of technology and operations management and the Henry Ford Chaired Professor of Manufacturing, Emeritus, at INSEAD, as well as the academic director of INSEAD's Humanitarian Research Group.