The Changing Face of Corporate Sustainability This post was originally featured on the Zayed Future Energy Prize blog. It’s reprinted here with permission . By Roberta B. Bowman, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Duke Energy In 1999, fewer than 500 companies issued sustainability reports. Today, there is a growing demand for companies to demonstrate a responsible, sustainable, long-term approach to business, to produce a statement of their sustainability activities, and to clearly show how this relates to their core business strategy. Several factors have driven the current momentum for sustainable corporate performance: Stakeholder expectations: Companies understand the many benefits of sustainable operations, especially now that they engage with a wider range of stakeholders – shareholders, employees, business partners, investors, consumers, NGOs, the media – who demand accountability and transparency. Roberta B. image: Jenny Mackness via Flickr cc (some rights reserved) Scroll down to see comments.
MAZI Articles - What Complexity Science Teaches Us About Social Change by Virginia Lacayo - Communication for Social Change Consortium (CFSC Consortium) MAZI Articles What Complexity Science Teaches Us About Social Changeby Virginia Lacayo From 1992 to 2004, I worked at a Nicaraguan nongovernmental organization called Puntos de Encuentro, which means "meeting points" or "common grounds," a feminist nonprofit organization that believes in the role of communication, research, and education in fostering social change. Puntos advocates an innovative approach to designing communication strategies to promote social change, believing that "while societies have to change, they have to decide for themselves how to change To this end, Puntos uses its weekly television social soap series Sexto Sentido (Sixth Sense) as a launching pad for a multimedia, multilevel communication for social change strategy called Somos Diferentes, Somos Iguales"”We're Different. In spite of its wide recognition as an innovative, risk-taking NGO, Puntos has been struggling to frame theoretically and justify its outreach strategy. How I Came Across Complexity Science
The confessions of an accidental committee man | Guardian Sustainable Business I was born nosey, so if someone interesting invites me to peer into the guts of their organisation, I'm inclined to give it a go. As a result, I have been drawn into a mind-numbingly broad range of committees, advisory boards and boards over the decades. As I try to critically evaluate my 25 years of sustainability-focused work, I am drawing early conclusions from my experiences as a somewhat accidental committee man. Here's a starter list of 10: 1. One of the most intriguing articles I have read in the Harvard Business Review appears in the latest edition. Similarly, capitalism's single-minded pursuit of return on equity and competition for competition's sake are compromising its longer-term interests. 2. Several committees I joined in the decade from 1974 were linked with NGOs, like a small and quixotic "Planners Against Growth" group hosted by Friends of the Earth, and The Other Economic Summit. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. There are at least two main routes to enter this game.
Economics Basics: Introduction Economics may appear to be the study of complicated tables and charts, statistics and numbers, but, more specifically, it is the study of what constitutes rational human behavior in the endeavor to fulfill needs and wants. As an individual, for example, you face the problem of having only limited resources with which to fulfill your wants and needs, as a result, you must make certain choices with your money. You'll probably spend part of your money on rent, electricity and food. Then you might use the rest to go to the movies and/or buy a new pair of jeans. We can say, therefore, that economics, often referred to as the "dismal science", is a study of certain aspects of society. To study these things, economics makes the assumption that human beings will aim to fulfill their self-interests.
Invisible Hand Definition What does 'Invisible Hand' mean The term “invisible hand” is a metaphor for how, in a free market economy, self-interested individuals operate through a system of mutual interdependence to promote the general benefit of society at large. It was introduced by Scottish enlightenment thinker Adam Smith in his book “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” (1776). BREAKING DOWN 'Invisible Hand' There are two critical ideas behind the invisible hand. Each free exchange creates signals about which goods and services are valuable and how difficult they are to bring to market. In “The Wealth of Nations,” Adam Smith wrote: "Every individual necessarily labors to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can ... Smith only mentioned the invisible hand three times and just once in “The Wealth of Nations,” leaving a rather nebulous concept. Invisible Hands Guide Business Productivity Cantillon described an isolated estate that divided into competing leased farms.
Adam Smith: The Father Of Economics Adam Smith is often touted as the world's first free-market capitalist. While that designation is probably a bit overstated, Smith's place in history as the father of modern economics and a major proponent of laissez-faire economic policies is quite secure. Read on to learn about how this Scottish philosopher argued against mercantilism to become the father of modern free trade. Early Life The recorded history of Smith's life begins on June 16, 1723, at his baptism in Scotland. Invisible Hand Theory"An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations," also shortened as "The Wealth of Nations," documented industrial development in Europe. Other economists built on Smith's work to solidify classical economic theory, which would become the dominant school of economic thought through the Great Depression. By selling products that people want to buy, the butcher, brewer and baker hope to make money.
What Is An Emerging Market Economy? An emerging market economy (EME) is defined as an economy with low to middle per capita income. Such countries constitute approximately 80% of the global population, and represent about 20% of the world's economies. The term was coined in 1981 by Antoine W. Van Agtmael of the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank. Although the term "emerging market" is loosely defined, countries that fall into this category, varying from very big to very small, are usually considered emerging because of their developments and reforms. What an EME Looks LikeEMEs are characterized as transitional, meaning they are in the process of moving from a closed economy to an open market economy while building accountability within the system. One key characteristic of the EME is an increase in both local and foreign investment (portfolio and direct). Local Politics vs.
How To Reach And Influence The Connected Consumer In 2011, the digital landscape underwent a significant shift that will have profound effects on business in 2012. The challenge is that hardly any business leaders noticed. That’s not their fault, however. Although the impact of technology on business and consumer behavior was widely reported, in-depth reports on what to do next or how this will affect their business specifically were scant at best. What the social media gurus aren’t telling you is that the landscape for business isn’t changing because of social media, it’s changing because consumer expectations are evolving. Your customers are empowered through technology where social media becomes only part of the disruption. Your job in 2012 is to not embrace new technology with arms wide open, but instead understand it and learn which disruptive technologies separate you from existing and potential customers. To reach the connected consumer, you must first walk in their footsteps. Why? Order The End of Business as Usual today…
Work/Life Balance Is A Myth; Here's What You Can Do About It When I ask busy executives to describe a satisfying life, they often envision a scenario in which they work hard but dictate their own assignments. They want time to take part in important family events. They are eager to make real contributions to their organizations, and they also want breaks when they’re tired. What they really need is control. But, frequently, what they think they want is balance--and that’s where trouble starts. Here’s what I tell them: work-life balance is a myth. In reality, that perfect balance almost never occurs, except for those rare, fleeting moments when the trays pass each other on the way up or down--and we’re too frazzled to appreciate that brief moment of self-actualization anyway. There’s always a lot of chatter in the media about the latest trends in work-life balance. Among those supposed fixes: And control, in my view, is what we’re really trying to get to with all the chatter about balance. Here are a few ideas for getting started: Related:
Marketing Leader Jim Stengel On The One Thing Businesses Need To Grow According to marketing guru Jim Stengel, if you’re in business right now you’ve got to ask yourself one question: What’s my ideal? You also might want to take a look at who’s leading your company. Is it an artist? Stengel believes things like ideals and artistry are now real business mandates, but, since this is an ex-P&G marketer we’re talking about, he set out out to prove his assumptions with hard data, conducting a multi-year study of more than 50,000 brands together with research company Millward Brown Optimor. Stengel has a little more credibility than most marketing “experts.” In the new book, Stengel discusses the “Stengel 50,” companies that have shown significant growth by demonstrating and adhering to ideals--companies like Discovery Communications, Red Bull, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Louis Vuitton and, of course, Apple. Here, we talk to Stengel about ideals, and about “business artists,” those leaders who think beyond quarterly results and safeguard the “soul of a brand.”
UNEP FI Biodiversity Newsletter / Jan.-2012 The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) is a major international initiative to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity, to highlight the growing costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and to draw together action-oriented expertise from the fields of science, economics and policy. Since 2009, TEEB has produced four major reports for various stakeholders. The reports were very well received and have been followed by a considerable number of local, regional, national and business initiatives. Two years after the TEEB reports, the Leipzig TEEB Conference 2012 will take stock of these developments and catalyze the still growing interest in the topic. TEEB invites the research, policy and business community to Leipzig, Germany, to discuss the state of the art in Environmental Valuation, Ecosystem Services and Science-Policy Processes. More information here.
Investors Get New Tool to Gauge Companies' Water Risks The record drought in Texas this summer underscored the crucial role water plays in keeping the economy afloat. Among other impacts, it has devastated the state's cotton crop, one of the factors that led Gap Inc. to downgrade its annual profit forecast by 22 percent. Pressure on the world's water supplies will only increase in the coming decades as industry, agriculture and population growth compete for access. Yet few companies talk about how they are managing their water-related risks, which could one day leave investors holding the bag. Concerned investors received a significant resource today from Ceres, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, IRRC Institute and consulting firm Irbaris. "Investors need and want this tool as a way to benchmark which companies are and which companies are not taking water risk seriously and managing that risk holistically," Ceres President Mindy Lubber said during a conference call with reporters today.
Economic Indicators: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) By Ryan Barnes BackgroundThe gross domestic product (GDP) is the godfather of the indicator world. As an aggregate measure of total economic production for a country, represents the market value of all goods and services produced by the economy during the period measured, including personal consumption, government purchases, private inventories, paid-in construction costs and the foreign trade balance (exports are added, imports are subtracted). Presented only quarterly, is most often presented on an annualized percent basis. Most of the individual data sets will also be given in real terms, meaning that the data is adjusted for price changes, and is therefore net of inflation. The is an extremely comprehensive and detailed report. What it Means for InvestorsReal is the one indicator that says the most about the health of the economy and the advance release will almost always move markets. Strengths: GDP is considered the broadest indicator of economic output and growth.
Davos: OECD's Gurría talks metrics that matter, going beyond GDP 30/01/2012 - OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría highlighted the importance of developing new metrics for measuring progress that go beyond GDP during a discussion on 28 January 2012 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Mr Gurría said that the economic crisis has shown that it is essential to make well-being a central criteria for determining policies. Governments’ response to the crisis must be based around policies that lay the foundation for more inclusive and sustainable growth in the future, he said. The OECD is also simultaneously pursuing a broad statistical and research agenda, in close collaboration with its member and partner countries, national statistical agencies and international organisations. The agenda aims to lay the foundations for better statistics tomorrow, and is closely aligned with the recommendations of the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Commission, which reported on going beyond GDP in 2009, as well as many ongoing national and regional initiatives.