Businesses can't take on complex environmental and social issues without input from the full spectrum of stakeholders ranging from NGOs and community groups to their suppliers, employees and investors.

Let's look at Timberland, which is intensely focused on its global supply chain, especially in Asia and South America where several hundred factories and two dozen tanneries use vast amounts of energy and water to make millions of pairs of leather boots and other footwear every year. Even a tiny increase in energy or water prices can cost these suppliers millions of dollars a year.

Alert to the high costs and environmental impacts of leather, Timberland began partnering with leather buyers and suppliers a few years ago to slash the energy and water footprints at its tanneries. Tanneries participating in the Leather Working Group project have already reduced water and energy use by an average of 15-20 percent and all tanneries now working with Timberland must meet specific Gold and Silver performance targets.

It saves the planet -- and it also saves money. And Timberland got there by listening to their partners -- in this case, industry peers and suppliers.

Companies across all industries, from GE to Best Buy to Nike, are collaborating like never before with stakeholders to get a jump on the next big, smart sustainability idea or avoid the next embarrassing misstep, be it an environmental disaster or bungled community relationship.

The business case for "opening the doors" is powerful. Today's hyper-fast, viral economy can elevate or destroy companies and products in a matter of days, so antagonistic stakeholder relations are no longer an option. Technologies like Facebook and Twitter are accelerating these trends so that throwing ideas out on the web and asking the global smartmob to develop solutions is the new norm.

Employee Engagement: Water < Less Jeans

Levi Strauss discovered exactly this when it challenged its employees to solve a vexing challenge: the colossal water footprint of its iconic jeans.

Jeans manufacturing is surprisingly water-intensive, from the cotton in the denim to the finishing touches to make them fashionable and comfy. Most jeans are washed in industrial washing machines three to 10 times during the finishing process -- and that water adds up.

So about a year ago the company looked inward to find a solution, tapping an employee stakeholder group that knows its culture and processes intimately: the design team. "Sometimes the way to achieve a more sustainable design is to rethink a traditional process and find a way to do it better," said Levi's Brand Concepts Director Carl Chiara. Their breakthrough idea? Stonewash their jeans with just the stones, no water.

"The laundry thought we were crazy," added Chiara, but the team really wanted to "challenge conventions."

That they did, reducing the amount of water used to finish jeans by an average of 28 percent -- and up to 96 percent (just 1.5 liters!) for some styles. That adds up to about 16 million liters of water saved for the 1.5 million pairs of jeans coming out in Levi's spring 2011 Water < Less collection. The reduced water use is also cutting its energy bills.

Knocking down walls between companies and the communities where they operate is another must. In addition to avoiding disruptive project delays, it can help build more-loyal workforces and stronger reputations.

Shareholder Engagement: Thinking Together

Calamities like the BP oil spill, Massey coalmine disaster, and more recent natural gas drilling explosions are also rewriting the rules of engagement between companies and their shareholders.

Investors whose portfolios have been being pummeled by these disasters are getting more impatient and vocal. With increasing frequency, shareholders are banding together to demand face-to-face engagements with companies -- and entire industry groups -- on how they are managing riskier types of fossil fuel extraction, whether deepwater drilling or hydraulic fracturing.