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The Solutions Are Neither Quick Nor Easy, So Let’s Talk

Let’s recap, shall we?Recent sustainability news has not been uplifting.

By Dimitar Vlahov | Published 11 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Let’s recap, shall we?

Recent sustainability news has not been uplifting. Consider these highlights: 40 percent of the global population is expected to live in areas of high water stress by 2025; G20 countries need to reduce their carbon intensity by 6% per year to not exceed two degrees of warming, but have averaged only 0.7% of annual decarbonization over the last five years; the Euro Zone is still facing record unemployment levels; protests and other forms of social upheaval continue to pop up all over the world at a staggering rate; and the fraction of companies believed by consumers to be delivering on their CSR programs has dropped dramatically to a sad 5%.

Is your company in a position to lead?

It is hard to read all that and not be reminded of the kinds of deep systemic changes that are needed in how business interacts with nature and society, if we want the global economy to have a chance of thriving again. And here is the tricky part: It’s neither easy nor quick, even if you recognize the problem fully. This year’s global CEO survey by the UN Global Compact and Accenture made this very clear: 68% of global CEOs agree that the global economy is currently NOT on track to meet the demands of a growing population within environmental and resource constraints, but only 33% believe that business is doing enough, and only 38% feel their teams are adequately equipped to quantify the value of investing in sustainability.

What pieces do you need to solve this puzzle?

It is clear that the leading brands of the future will be those that transform their promises, positioning, products, services, supply chains, operations and voice for sustainability. Building them takes a new arsenal of skills, a new network of collaborators, and a new set of tools.

Sustainable Brands London, taking place on November 18-19 at the Lancaster London, and the international Sustainable Brands® community that will be in attendance, is your place to find all three. Come participate, bring your partners, and be part of the leaders’ circle that is changing the rules of the game. We look forward to productive conversation with you there!

Dimitar Vlahov

Advisor and Co-Lead, Global Content Strategy & Thought Leadership, Sustainable Brands

Dimitar is a senior sustainability and regeneration strategist, educator, executive advisor and mentor. He currently holds the following active roles: Advisor and Co-Lead, Global Content Strategy & Thought Leadership at Sustainable Brands; Senior Strategist, Content Development & Product Innovation at Sustainability Hub Norway; Executive Advisor at rePurpose Global; and Senior Content Advisor at Integrate2033. He co-led the creation of the SB Brand Transformation Roadmap, a comprehensive navigation tool mapping the whole journey from business-as-usual to a sustainable brand, and co-designed an accompanying assessment process that measures progress in five dimensions: purpose, brand influence, operations and supply chain, products and services, and governance.

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Dimitar Vlahov