Excerpts of the chat between Sandeep Joshi, MD, Massivue, Singapore and Benedict Paramanand, Editor, SustainabilityNext
Who designed the Index?
The SustainAgility Index (SAI) was conceived and created by me. However, we have over 200 SustainAgility Community members who have provided inputs and refinements. Massivue offers AI-powered sustainability solutions under its “SustainAgility” practice, designed to integrate sustainability directly into business operations rather than treating it as a separate reporting function. Their approach focuses on accelerating sustainability maturity through technology and expert consulting.
How different is it compared to the likes of Dow Jones, S & P, FTSE, among others?
In short, financial indices measure market performance; the SAI measures organizational sustainability performance. SAI is a sustainability performance measurement framework, not a financial market index. It measures organizational sustainability across multiple dimensions. The next iteration of SAI is planned to launch in July 2026 and will be focused on simplifying the Index calculations and mapping it to 4 pillars (Water, Energy, Waste, Air) and 15+ sustainability standards.
The SustainAgility Index is fundamentally different in nature from financial market indices. The Dow Jones, S&P 500, and FTSE are financial stock market indices, they track the price performance of a basket of publicly listed companies and serve as benchmarks for investor returns and market health. Their focus is squarely on financial capital and shareholder value.
The SAI, by contrast, is a values-based organizational performance framework. It doesn’t track stock prices or market capitalization. Instead, it measures sustainability across 5 Focus Areas (Sustainable Finance, Sustainable Business Function, Sustainable IT, Sustainable Leadership, and Sustainable Product Management). Where financial indices ask “how much wealth was created for shareholders?”, the SAI asks “are we delivering sustainable value for people, planet, and enterprise?”
What is the primary goal of this index?
The primary goal of the SustainAgility Index is to guide individuals, teams, leaders, and enterprises in shifting from a profit-driven to a purpose-driven model, making sustainability a mainstream business objective while maintaining business agility. The goal is achieved through transforming fragmented sustainability metrics into a single unified score that drives both sustainability and profitability.
It aims to help organisations build long-term compounding growth by doing the right thing for societies, people, and the planet.
Is it time and cost heavy to adopt this index?
It is designed to be lightweight and integrative. The approach involves coaching teams to instill SustainAgility values into their existing team alliances and mapping the focus areas to prioritize sustainable value delivery.
There is also a free SustainAgility Fundamentals course, and the community itself operates as a non-profit. The framework layers onto existing ways of working rather than requiring a wholesale replacement, which keeps both the time investment and cost manageable.
