In addition to the new book, dashboard, worksheets, and slides that will be released together in March, I’m also creating a new Sustainability Advantage DVD that will encapsulate my talk these days on new business case for sustainability. It will be ready in the summer and will include footage of several talks that I am doing between now and then. I’m still on track to do another 80-100 talks this year. Last year, I did 93 plus wrote the new book, so paying attention to the bi-weekly blog was a bit of a challenge. For people who are unable to attend one of my talks, the DVD will provide an opportunity for them to experience it virtually.
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The Occupy / We Are the 99% movements have awakened many people to unsustainable economic inequities. There has always been a gap between the have’s and the have not’s. It’s the widening of that wealth chasm during a recession and the co-opting of the political process by corporations that has aroused recent global protests.
Protestors are accused of being heavy on criticism and light on solutions. However, when they put forward well-thought-out proposals, they are ridiculed for being naïve and out of touch with “reality.” That is, they don’t have any good ideas. Oh, really? These three videos cleverly capture concrete proposals that would help address the underlying causes of unjust and dangerous wealth inequities.
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Extreme weather events are happening more frequently, can damage the company’s facilities, and may require extensive time and money to rectify. The homes of employees may be severely damaged, or infrastructure providing access to the company site may be destroyed. Supply chain resilience after severe weather events is a growing issue for companies with far-flung global operations and suppliers. Storms at supplier locations or en route can jeopardize supply and force the company to use more expensive alternative sources.
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People buy from companies they trust. More and more, customers prefer to do business with companies that are doing good things and are responsible. The responsible image of the company builds loyalty with customers who identify with the values of the company – their loyalty is more to the company than to its products. Even [...]
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By aligning ESG-related benefits with the value chain framework, it becomes evident how and where each benefit strengthens important links. Using relevant frameworks improves sustainability champions’ credibility. Being able to relate the so-what’s of ESG benefits to the standard value chain enhances that credibility further.
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We need to make it easy for CEOs, CFOs, and others in the C-suite to see how embedding sustainability strategies into the company’s strategies and operations will contribute to the firm’s success. That is, we need to connect the dots between typical financial statements and the benefits that can be realized from smart environmental, social, and governance (ESG) approaches and programs. Aligning ESG benefits with income statement elements helps executives see the relevance of sustainability initiatives to their current financial priorities.
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What is the secret of selling executives on using sustainability strategies? Show how the benefits of those strategies help them achieve their existing priorities on which they are already being measured. Executives are juggling way too many key focus areas to welcome adding another one like “sustainability” to the batch. That means sustainability champions need to align the set of benefits that are yielded by smart environmental, social, and governance (ESG) / sustainability strategies with executives’ top priorities.
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Our current economic and financial systems sanction obscene excesses at the expense of society. It’s easy and therapeutic to rant. It’s more helpful, but more challenging, to propose viable alternatives. In my last three blogs, I reviewed Hazel Henderson’s, Michael Moore’s, and David Korten’s thoughtful proposals on how to repair our economic and financial systems. We also need more responsible business models, like Benefit Corporations (B Corps).B Corps are a new kind of company which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.
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Was the financial crisis triggered by a unique combination of unusual circumstances, or was it the inevitable outcome of a decaying system? Noted futurist, author, and ecological economist, Hazel Henderson, declares that Wall Street has degenerated into a global casino, with a far too dominant influence on the global economy. She says it must be rehabilitated and suggests seven reforms that would be a good start.
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Too often, we wait for the people in charge to fix world problems. Why not? Isn’t that their role? Our hopes are raised when we see people with our point of view gain power, and then we are disappointed when they fail to live up to our expectations. The status quo inertia in the current political and economic systems is amazingly strong. When people with important titles fail to shake it up, we may wonder if mere mortals like us can possibly make a difference.
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