The Embedding Framework consists of 60 distinct practices, organized into into a set of 13 pathways, all oriented around two main axes.

The horizontal axis highlights the importance of simultaneously attending to two different goals: meeting existing sustainability commitments (deliver) and making way for the changes that will help improve sustainability performance in the future (advance).

On the left of the framework you'll find the practices that support the fulfilment of your organization's current sustainability objectives. These are the practices that help you deliver on what you said you were going to do.

On the right hand side, you'll find the practices that help advance your sustainability agenda. These practices help foster the innovation that will drive future improvements to your sustainability performance.

The vertical axis reinforces the need to attend to both of these goals using two different means (formal and informal). In the top half of the framework are the more formal practices, those that try to guide behaviour through the use of rules, systems, procedures and metrics.

On the bottom, are a set of more informal practices that target the organization's social norms. Norms are generally passed on and shaped through observation or experience and are enforced by other members of the organization through the use of social sanctions. Thus, informal approaches aim to establish and reinforce shared ways of doing things that align the organization with its journey to sustainability.

Over a three-year period, we conducted hundreds of interviews and worked with 16 global companies to refine our framework and establish a 5-point continuum of embeddedness for each of the practices.

To learn more about the practices assessment process, visit the embeddingproject.org assessment-process or as a starting point to understanding your own company's journey,
consider undertaking the free, preliminary practices self-assessment.