BY ADENA T. Friedman, President & CEO of Nasdaq, Inc.

Almost no topic inspires more passion and urgency from stakeholders as the drive for sustainability. Individually and collectively we all have a part to play in protecting the health and long-term sustainability of our shared planet, and in creating thriving economies and communities in which everyone can participate and succeed.

Within this context, business plays an important and defining role. In recent years, we have seen the growth of capital market participation at a scale and level of diversity like never before. This increased participation has also brought new expectations for companies and the role they can play in addressing societal challenges. Employees, investors, and consumers want to grow their wealth and savings, but they also care about how corporations make those returns and their broader impact. This underscores that sustainability and profitability are not competing forces—they are an “and,” not an “or.”

Many people know Nasdaq as the largest global equities marketplace for innovative companies. But, Nasdaq today is also the premier platform and ecosystem for the global financial system. In addition to our foundational marketplaces business, we provide the technology that powers more than 130 markets around the world. This gives me a privileged position of being able to view the breadth of global business and engage with leaders across the financial ecosystem, from corporates to asset owners, asset managers, other market operators, and beyond. Without question, sustainability continues to be a top agenda item across the board, and there are clear and encouraging signs that business is responding to the challenge.

Nasdaq helps get capital into the hands of the most cutting-edge companies, many of which are focused on creating sustainable solutions for the future. We enable any investor to support a sustainable economy by betting on these bold pioneers—and they are doing just that in unprecedented numbers. We are also seeing more companies than ever embrace environmental, social, and governance principles and make net-zero commitments.

As sustainability becomes a significant focus for business, we are defining the best practices that will drive future success. It requires a willingness to set meaningful goals and be held accountable for them. It requires the ability to prioritize long-term social and environmental benefits that may not be realized for decades to come. It requires flexibility and understanding as the space evolves and matures. Perhaps most importantly, it requires leaders who can recognize the role business can play in creating a more equitable and sustainable world.

Clarke Murphy's insights are based upon face-to-face conversations with individuals who are in the leadership seats influencing and shaping this change. He is right there in the trenches with the actual decision makers. By asking the questions others don't think to ask, he has discovered exactly the kind of mindset, skillset, vision, and drive it takes to lead a corporation into a sustainable future. Through rich storytelling and exclusive insights from the world's most influential CEOs and the next generation of leaders and startup pioneers, he details the steps we can all take to move toward our sustainability goals. The advice and examples found on the next pages demonstrate that it's not in the talking, but the doing.

Through his experience and expertise, Clarke is able to draw out personal and life-changing experiences from CEOs, crystallizing their deepest thoughts into actionable takeaways. I should know—I've had those conversations with Clarke myself, and he has been a guiding and encouraging voice.

So, it comes as no surprise to me that Clarke gets others to open up in his book, which often feels like having an intimate conversation around the conference room table with some of the most brilliant minds in business. Like many of the insightful leaders he speaks with, Clarke has the humility and learning quotient to listen and learn. Each chapter is an education on how these leaders exceeded their goalposts on myriad sustainability issues, from developing clean fuel for container ships to helping women farmers of India improve their lives by cultivating guar beans for consumer products. There is a sense of urgency as we learn what's being done now, and how leaders are developing talent to accelerate change in the near and distant future. Above all, we come away with a profound understanding of what's possible and the inspiration to charge boldly forward.