I attended The Executive Council’s Leadership Forum on Value Based Sustainability: The Business Case for Green & Clean in San Jose yesterday; an intimate conference with 100 global brand leaders, corporate execs, a handful of consultants, and a nice handful of green-focused PR and media folks.
It may look as though nothing is new in sustainability, but in less than a decade, industries have moved from viewing sustainable practices as a risk, into reflecting bottom-line savings, and even changing operational strategies.
In 2003, few corporations were openly talking about sustainability, and now, the greening of an organization seems to include employees, customers; anyone along the supply chain. The story of sustainability has been carried and shifted by employees, and I suspect from the point of view of the customer.
The overarching take-aways from this one-day event weren’t entirely new. And it seemed, that most in the audience are familiar with what the Fortune 100 are doing; and are fairly involved with their respective corporate missions.
But the panel discussions, presentations and discussions were encouraging; and brought up questions that greenies have been posing for over a decade:
1. Should a company be responsible for educating the public about sustainability?
2. If a company makes something inherently un-sustainable eg: drinks in plastic bottles, if the packaging is made from 70% plant-based materials, and still recyclable, is this product inherently “green?”
3.What is the role of government in moving sustainability? Businesses are a huge lever for change, even social change, should sustainability be left to private sector or civic sector?
4. What role does marketing play in sustainability?
Add your comments