CLEANTECH -
The landmark international climate change nearly 195-nation agreement that came out of COP21 late last year sent a message to the world that a low-carbon future is imminent.
The Paris Agreement, for the first time, brings all nations into a common cause based on their historic, current and future responsibilities. Its main aim is to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The 1.5 degree Celsius limit is a significantly safer defense line against the worst impacts of a changing climate.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The latest generation of descendants of oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller have denounced the industry upon which he built their fortune.
The Rockefeller Family Fund (RFF) announced this week it has sold its holdings in Exxon Mobil and plans to dump all of its other fossil-fuel investments “as quickly as possible.” Foundation director Lee Wasserman told Bloomberg that fossil-fuel investments comprise roughly 6 percent of the RFF’s $130 million in holdings.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
At age 27, I was the youngest director elected to Vancity Credit Union, the largest community-based credit union in the world. It was the late 1980s. I ran a seniors' agency, was chair of a provincial social planning group and had been a recent board member of the local United Way. In two and a half words, I was a "social do-gooder."
My first board-management strategy session was spent discussing mergers, declining margins, capital adequacy and potential staff lay-offs. We were in a bad business cycle.
An hour before the meeting was scheduled to end, we reached the final agenda item: "Other Business."
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
When it comes to sustainability reporting, companies may feel like they’re in an increasingly uncomfortable public-private vice. On one side, consumers and shareholders are pressuring organizations to be better corporate citizens and increase transparency. Governments are establishing more reporting requirements as well, which will inevitably multiply through initiatives such as the recent Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP21.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
…or should the role be replaced by a ‘Chief Value Officer,’ as suggested by Marga Hoek in her new book, New Economy Business? A CVO role would focus on broader value creation and is responsible for integrated reporting and integrated thinking within the organization.
Many voices are suggesting we rethink our form of capitalism, and in this wake the groundswell for the topic of Integrated Reporting as proxy for Integrated Thinking is ever increasing, and new momentum was added in recent weeks:
Example Quotes
Larry Fink — CEO, Blackrock — world's largest asset management company
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
This week, two major banks made changes to their policies regarding coal financing. The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) acknowledged their progress, but asserted that a great deal more must be done to meet the global commitment made at COP21 in December to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Alternative protein company Exo announced the close of a $4 million Series A funding round today. The company’s cricket flour protein bars are “formulated for taste” to “appeal to everybody” by Kyle Connaughton, former Head Chef of R&D at The Fat Duck. The funding round was led by AccelFoods, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on food and beverage companies.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
When Leonardo DiCaprio channeled his long-awaited Oscars acceptance speech last weekend into an urgent call to climate action, it represented something of a defining moment. In just 60 seconds, he effortlessly pushed the emerging concept of ‘society as stakeholder’ into the media spotlight, forcing more than 34 million viewers to take note.
NEW METRICS -
I recently attended the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) 2nd Inclusive Business Forum for Asia in the Philippines, where I sat in on an engaging discussion on assessing the merits of impact investments.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
More and more, circular economic business models are proving ways to cut costs and increase efficiency. A new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Corporate Citizenship Center (CCC) reinforces that turning waste into resources presents economic opportunities for American businesses.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Nearly 12 months ago, I dove into the investment ecosystem to survey from the inside the dynamics of the ‘sustainable investing’ trend. I was moved to do so by the much ballyhooed transfer of investable wealth to values-seeking millennials (estimated at $30 trillion) and to women (estimated at $22 trillion). How prepared was Wall Street to meet this imminent and perhaps pent up demand for well-performing investment vehicles that enhance the sustained well-being of people and the planet?
MARKETING AND COMMS -
On Friday, Volkswagen (VW) postponed the publication of its 2015 results and delayed its annual shareholders' meeting “due to remaining open questions and the resulting valuation calculations relating to the diesel emissions issue.” Despite the uncertainty about the financial fallout of the scandal, the head of its claims fund said that the company will offer “generous compensation packages” to the roughly 600,000 U.S.
CLEANTECH -
Global fuels giant ExxonMobil seems to be unmoved by the investigations into its climate change lies – first in New York and now in California – and the international Paris Agreement that calls for limiting global temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
COLLABORATION -
Representatives from almost 200 countries convened in Paris in December to reach the most significant agreement on climate change since the topic initially surfaced as a political priority some decades ago.
NEW METRICS -
The industrial economy is geared towards maximization of wealth. This target has led towards substantial, even amazing, economic growth during the last two centuries. Yet, at the same time this growth has introduced new risks and has caused severe threats and actual damages to the environment and to the social framework.Some risks are environmental: Global climate change; loss of diversity that decreases resilience; damage to delicate food chains; and land, air and water pollution. Others are societal, such as employment security, growing inequality in income and wealth, pressures related to rapid urbanization, and demographic changes that threaten retirement system.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Two-thirds of CEOs (66 percent) see more threats facing their businesses today than three years ago. Just over a quarter (27 percent) believe global growth will improve over the next 12 months, a decline of 10 points on last year.In addition, PwC’s Annual Global CEO survey shows only slightly more than a third (35 percent) are very confident of their own company growth in the coming year, down four points on last year (39 percent), and even one point below 2013.
CLEANTECH -
President Barack Obama highlighted the successes of cleantech investment – for both the economy and the environment – in his final State of the Union address on January 12.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Millennials are earning a reputation for doing things differently. They communicate intensively using social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest), are revolutionizing transportation (Uber, Lyft), and are now demanding corporate sustainability and accountability. Currently the largest living generation in the United States, Millennials have enough ‘buying power’ to throw their weight around.But this innovation doesn’t happen by chance or because Millennials passively expected it — they create it by advocating for themselves.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Four years after launching its corporate responsibility strategy, Travel with Purpose, Hilton Worldwide says its investments in global partnerships and sustainability programs is not only driving positive social impact, but also supporting long-term business success. Hilton discusses its strategy and provides updates on its global impact in its fourth annual corporate responsibility report.Travel with Purpose was designed to examine global issues where Hilton can make an impact while simultaneously contributing to its future success:
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
More than 60 environmental leaders and organizations have signed The Carbon Levy Project declaration, calling for a tax on fossil fuel extraction that would help pay for damages caused by climate change. The declaration states that fossil fuel companies are accountable for around 70 percent of present day global warming and should be held accountable for the resulting costs to the countries most affected. Signatories include author Naomi Klein, 350.org’s Bill McKibben, and Greenpeace’s Kumi Naidoo.