Leadership
Exemplary cases of sustainability leadership and intrapreneurship, and the qualities, ethical principles and/or dilemmas inherent within them.
Dannon, Chobani Bucking Business as Usual to Empower Farmers, Employees
Two of America’s most well-known yogurt brands are taking unconventional approaches create stronger ties with some of their stakeholders. Dannon is implementing a new supply system that allows the company to engage directly with its milk suppliers as part of an ambitious plan to influence farm practices, and Chobani will be giving its 2,000 full-time employees an ownership stake worth up to 10 percent of the company when it goes public or is sold.
Saving the Playing Field: A Tale of Two Professional Sports and Sustainability
Sports and corporate sustainability are two fields not always thought of as playing on the same court. But the two have more in common than one might initially expect — both are about winning through fair competition and the display of excellence. In recent years, the line between the sports business and sustainable business have begun to blur as the the industry embraces triple bottom line principles.
The Personal Triple Bottom Line: Insight, Impact, Income
Two decades ago, John Elkington introduced the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), a disruptive corporate tool to measure a company’s success based on three Ps: People, Planet and Profit. TBL and its derivatives are widely used by companies around the world. While some companies have embedded the TBL into the core of their business, many others loosely practice it to varying degrees.
Embracing the Purpose Paradox: The Key to Transcendental Leadership
In the summer of 2012, I came upon a discovery so mind-blowing that it has taken me nearly four years to get my feet back on solid ground. After two decades of research to find the connection between human nature and Mother Nature, a simple E=mc2-type equation emerged. I call this the Voice Code. Believe it or not, this discovery has revealed the natural laws that govern all human thinking. In doing so, it has allowed us to now clearly map the timeless principles and practices that all visionary minds master to become a force of nature in the pursuit of their life’s purpose.
6 Secrets of Staggering Genius
In the summer of 2012, after two decades of research to find the missing link between human nature and Mother Nature, the “Voice Code” emerged. This disruptive equation reconciles more than a century of social research and shows the scientific basis for the seemingly supernatural powers of game changers such as Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Oprah Winfrey and countless lesser-known outliers of human thriving.
Enrich Not Exploit: The Business Case for Bold Commitments
On significant birthdays, it is traditional across much of the world to receive gifts, but somewhat characteristically, one of the world’s most altruistic brands is bucking that trend. Last month, on the eve of its 40th anniversary, The Body Shop launched its new CSR strategy, ‘Enrich not Exploit,’ setting out 14 targets for 2020 that assist vulnerable communities around the world, further reduce the environmental impact of the brand, and support The Body Shop in its aim to become the ‘World’s most ethical and sustainable global business.’
UN Calling on Local Business Leaders, Changemakers to ‘Pioneer’ Action on SDGs
To spur action and inspire businesses to help advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, or global goals), the United Nations (UN) Global Compact announced a multi-year Local Network SDG Action Plan last month.
Canada Accepting Public Comments on Draft Sustainable Development Strategy
Last week, the Government of Canada released the 2015 Progress Report and 2016-2019 draft of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS).
The Climate Movement Needs More Corporate Lobbyists
Across corporate America, there is broad support for action on climate change. Leading businesses and executives vocally supported President Obama on the Paris Agreement. Many companies have committed themselves to getting onto a sustainable path, and many are pushing their commitment out through their supply chains. This is good, and it’s important.But it makes us in Congress feel a little left out. The corporate lobbying presence in Congress is immense. But in my experience, exactly zero of it is dedicated to lobbying for a good, bipartisan climate bill.
Regenerative Business: Diving Into the History, Etymology and Practice of 'Regeneration'
Forty years ago, I meet a cadre of business designers and developers who called what they did Regenerative Business Design. They had led a revolution with extraordinary success in Procter & Gamble, which gave the business world a state of the art approach in producing Return on Investment with people and assets. They delivered earnings for the consumer products giant that were the envy of all industries, in an industry whose margins were collapsed to below 5 percent.
7 Components of Purpose-Led Brands
We have entered the Age of Purpose — purpose as a collective value of growing cultural importance in many societies; as an emerging leading force in personal and career development; and as a driver of business decisions looking to create long-term value, build resilience and connect with increasingly conscious stakeholders. It may be early days for the Age of Purpose, but there are many signs it will only continue to gain momentum.
WWF's Markets Institute Out to Advance Sustainable Food Production
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has launched the Markets Institute, a dedicated platform working with stakeholders — particularly the private sector — to increase the speed and scale of market-based approaches to help optimize global food sector sustainability.
Trending: Food, Fashion Providing Employment for Refugees
More than a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe in 2015, and over 50,000 more arrived by boat in January 2016. While most asylum seekers are trying to escape the war in Syria, tens of thousands are also fleeing Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq, Albania, Pakistan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Serbia, and Ukraine. Once they arrive in Europe, they face numerous barriers to employment – not the least of which are the influx of people, tough economic times, and employers’ perception of refugees.
The New Copernican Revolution: Fritjof Capra on the Shift to 'The Systems View of Life'
Fritjof Capra is one of the world’s leading thinkers in systems theory, and the author of many influential books, such as The Tao of Physics; The Web of Life: A New Synthesis of Mind and Matter; The Turning Point: Science, Society and the Rising Culture; The Hidden Connections: A Science for Sustainable Living; and Learning from Leonardo: Decoding the Notebooks of a Genius.
ASU Initiatives Delivering on Mission to Solve, Educate, Engage on Sustainability
Arizona State University (ASU) has emerged as a leader in sustainability education in part due to its Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives, a series of programs designed to solve global sustainability problems, educate future leaders in sustainability strategies, and engage and inform the public around sustainability issues.
Union of Concerned Scientists Ad Presses Presidential Candidates on Climate Threat
Over the next month, the Manchester Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire’s five video screens will regularly show an animated ad depicting the state’s four leading presidential candidates with tides rising to their waists from climate-induced sea level rise. The 10-second spot asks, “How will you deal with sea level rise in New Hampshire?” and is expected to be seen by the candidates, their teams, and the press as they arrive for the GOP presidential debate on February 6 and primary on February 9.
Reinventing Work: Finding the Work That Brings You to Life
Why do so many people work so hard just to build up the funds to quit?In 25 years of coaching, I have met thousands of people with the same dream: to have “enough” money to do what they really want to do. The dream outcome is different for each – but the impact on their life today is always the same. Like Didi and Gogo in Waiting for Godot, we sit, wait and put up with work we don’t want to do to save for the life we actually want. This is the lifeblood of capitalism, and of the entire savings and pensions industry – that we share a dream of a golden future that has to be paid for with savings from work.There is another version of the story. Find the “Work” that matters to you and do it now in a way that brings you to life.
Obama Administration Declares Moratorium on New Federal Coal Leases
The Obama administration has announced a moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands, citing concerns regarding pricing and pollution. This followed on the heels of the president’s final State of the Union address, in which he said the United States must improve the way it manages its fossil fuel resources and move towards a clean energy economy.
White House Taps Private Sector for ‘Moonshot for Water’
The White House on Tuesday announced a new public-private water innovation strategy aimed at addressing the impacts of climate change on the use and supply of the nation’s water resources.The strategy, known informally as the “moonshot for water” calls for an aggressive two-part approach led by federal agencies, and enlists the private sector and other stakeholder groups to help significantly scale up research and investment in water efficiency solutions.
COP21 Agreement Makes History, But Not Everyone Is Happy
Over the weekend, 195 nations reached a landmark agreement at COP21 in Paris to fight climate change and unleash actions and investment towards a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future.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.