Rethinking ROI: Investing in Sustainability Beyond Financial Cycles

by Suneet Pansare

AI Generated

In recent years, sustainability has become a staple of organizational strategy, but often with a caveat. It is increasingly pegged to ROI and financial returns, a metric that dominates decision-making tables. While this makes sense in a world driven by quarterly reports and shareholder expectations, it deeply frustrates me. Because sustainability, at its core, is not a short-term pursuit, it is a long-term game of survival and stewardship.

When organizations evaluate sustainability projects purely through financial ROI, they often do so on the timelines of financial reporting cycles: three, six, nine, or twelve months. This short-term lens forces sustainability initiatives to prove their worth too quickly, undervaluing benefits that unfold over decades. The planet, however, does not operate on quarterly timeframes. Rising temperatures, greenhouse gas concentrations, and climate-induced disruptions remind us that the Earth’s accounting system is far less forgiving than our spreadsheets. 

The Case for a Different Kind of ROI

We need to rethink what “return” means. Perhaps it is time to move beyond financial capital and consider social capital or ecological capital – forms of return that measure well-being, resilience, and intergenerational continuity. Centuries ago, many communities made decisions based on the principle of seven generations, ensuring that whatever was built or decided today would benefit those who came long after.

The Taj Mahal, built over twenty years and still standing, is a testament to cathedral thinking: a mindset that builds for endurance, not expedience. Contrast that with our disposable, profit-driven systems today, where planned obsolescence defines production.

Consider the story of incandescent bulbs. Originally, these bulbs were designed to last far longer. But manufacturers, realizing that longevity reduced profits, agreed to shorten their lifespan. What if that meeting had gone differently? What if “return” was measured in longevity and sustainability, not in replacement cycles and profit margins? The cumulative carbon emissions from millions of discarded bulbs might have been far lower today.

Using Foresight to Reframe the Narrative

As futurists, we have the tools to use foresight to reframe ROI. Through scenario planning, we can explore the “gray rhinos” and “black swans,” the highly probable and high-impact events that threaten our collective future. We can backcast from these scenarios to highlight what inaction costs us, not just in money, but in lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

The maps don’t lie. If we continue along our current trajectory, vast regions of the planet, could be underwater within this century. Islands inhabited today may vanish tomorrow. Yet our investments remain fixated on the next fiscal quarter instead of the next century.

This shortsightedness raises a provocative question: Can we accept assured losses for the larger good?

Imagine a world where regulations required organizations to intentionally “waste” a portion of their profits, but only on activities that could prove a measurable, long-term social or environmental good. It sounds counterintuitive, even radical. But what if this redefinition of waste became an investment in the planet’s stability?

From Cathedral Thinking to Planetary Thinking

What we need now is cathedral thinking, the courage to start building what we may never see completed. Medieval builders of cathedrals knew they would not live to witness their creations finished, yet they laid foundations for generations to continue. Sustainability requires the same mindset, supported by systems thinking and long-horizon planning.

Today, we are confronted with complex entanglements, from runaway AI to climate displacement, resource depletion, and ecological collapse. These crises demand that we view ROI not as return on investment, but as return on integrity, a measure of how our choices preserve the integrity of our planet, our societies, and our shared future.

Toward a New Logic of Value

Perhaps the ultimate question is not “how much will this cost?” but “what will it cost us if we don’t act?” The future will belong to those who can expand their definition of value, who recognize that the greatest ROI may not be in quarterly earnings, but in the continuity of life itself.

© Suneet Pansare, 2025

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Suneet Pansare is a Design and Foresight Strategist who operates at the intersection of design strategy and futures, enabling organizations not only to imagine possible futures but also to co-design future-ready solutions, explore new opportunity areas, and navigate uncertainties. With approximately five years of experience, he has collaborated with organizations across multiple industries such as insurance, banking, airlines, hospitality, and energy. Suneet holds a Master’s degree in Design from the MIT Institute of Design and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester.