WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? HOW?
WHO?
In a nutshell, all of humanity – whether
active or passive in our global village’s activities. As representatives of this
planet, of countries, of age and social groupings, and of industries, our mere
existence affects the issues facing us.
WHAT?
The implications of climate
change, waste, financial crisis and poverty have converged in the
collective consciousness – implicating governments, corporations and societies
in the process.
WHEN?
Right
now. The worldwide rise in policy
revision, corporate reform and consumer behavioural change all has one objective
in common: accountability; and one
end-goal in mind: survival. Hence
the hopeful 21st century catchphrase: Sustainable Development – hand-in-hand with urgency, inclusivity and
honesty.
WHERE?
On every level of society in just about every part of the world, the
effects of unsustainable growth are
evident in the domino effect of natural
disasters, economic meltdown and decreased quality of life. These changes
are amplified by the rising tide of social
media, environmental and economic activism (e.g. WEF/Greenpeace and the
Occupy movement), political uprising
on most Continents and ever-increasing pressure
on business across industries to act responsibly.
WHY?
Globalisation created new relationships
between economies and supply chains. It sped up technological innovation and
population growth, increasing consumption of our natural (water, food) and
mined (energy) resources. This has ricocheted to drive prices up; availability
and quality down. The ecosystems that sustain us economically and as a society
are at increased risk. Our civilisation, as we know it, is young, with
the first city-state established only 20 centuries ago, democracy in its
infancy and the industrial age an embryo at just over a century– yet it is in
this age that most risk has been taken.
“Throughout the 20th century, we created wealth through
vertically integrated corporations. Now, we create wealth through networks. We
are at a turning point in human history, where the industrial age has finally
run out of gas.” – Don Tapscott
HOW?
Businesses are being forced to react to these changes in order to
remain successful and, in many cases, are developing new business models that
recognize the need to innovate and do more with less.
My next blog will be about: Sustainability and Corporate
Reporting - a waltz, not a toi-toi
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