An increasing number of businesses are integrating sustainability into their management practices to address socio-environmental challenges, playing a critical role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This shift encourages companies to redesign their business models (BMs) to balance financial performance with sustainable value creation. Despite growing interest in sustainable business models (SBMs), there is limited understanding of how these models can be implemented and aligned with the SDGs. This research focuses on Italian sustainability-oriented manufacturing companies, examining how they operationalize SBMs to achieve the SDGs. Using a qualitative methodology and multiple case study approach, the findings reveal that these companies express a clear sustainable value proposition, operationalized through a wide variety of sustainable practices. The transition to SBMs is a voluntary, conscious decision, as these companies recognize their responsibility in driving sustainable development. Each sustainable practice contributes differently toward specific SDGs, with companies showing equal commitment to both environmental and social dimensions. The identified practices impact 11 of the 17 SDGs, reflecting a diverse range of contributions across the goals. The study also highlights areas where companies are already making strong contributions, as well as opportunities for further development in their sustainability efforts. While most efforts are focused on internal practices, fewer initiatives target improving living conditions outside company boundaries. Companies also emphasize the importance of partnerships with local and global stakeholders to build a sustainable ecosystem. These results shouldn’t be considered a final point but rather as a stimulus for the development of a broader approach to the sustainability management process. The research suggests future research areas to develop this topic.
