Heralding Corporate Sustainability Initiatives
I just got off the phone with Stephan Williams, the guest blogger I wrote about a week or so back. I’m thrilled to announce that Stephan’s going to be the driving force behind the “corporate role models” blog that I’ve been chewing on for these last few months.
Here’s the basic concept:
We want to herald the good things that are happening in the corporate world vis-à-vis sustainability – and there are a ton of them. Dr. Rajendra Pachauri (chairman of the IPCC) reminded me of this in our meeting last week. Where the 200+ sovereign countries of the world may be slow to come to agreements about climate change, many of the largest corporate entities are making fantastically large and completely sincere efforts to lower our ecologic impact on the planet.
Let’s tell those stories. Let’s interview spokespeople in as many of these companies as possible, and get a detailed explanation of the entity’s past, present and future when it comes to corporate sustainability initiatives. This can take any of dozens of forms: products with better lifecycle analysis – perhaps designed around biomimicry, business processes with lower carbon footprint, philanthropy in the “green” space – anything that contributes to better sustainability.
Of the many reasons I think it’s important to tell these stories, perhaps the clearest is a basic sense of fairness. If you search 2GreenEnergy for the word “corporation,” it’s likely you’ll either find a rant on an oil company’s corrupt activities in Washington, or a reference to the scurrilous U.S. Supreme Court decision “Citizens United” in which corporations were given the right to spend as much money as they like in order to influence our elections. How about a bit of balance here? What about the many millions of corporate employees whose jobs are focused on changing the world for the better?
So far so good, but will people talk with us? Ha! I’m betting we bat close to 1,000. I can’t imagine I’ll have too much trouble getting a call returned whose purpose is to paint the guy and his company as super-heroes.
And here’s a side benefit to our work here: A lot of these companies have active “venture” initiatives aimed at acquiring hot new technologies – some of which may be in cleantech. For example, I happen to know the president of “General Motors Ventures.” Every once in a while, I’ll come across an investment opportunity that I think would be a good fit, and I’ll run it by him to see if his team may be interested. Now it’s great that I happen to know one such guy, but I want to know hundreds of them – and these conversations will be an excellent way to get me there.
Is this a great idea or what?
Dear Craig,
While reading your posting, I was writing an article about the role of business schools and universities in teaching their students toward acquiring ‘sustainable literacy’.
Yes, it’s a good sign that the corporate world is embracing the idea of sustainability and do something to get things done. Together with ‘enlightened’ educational institutions they’ll achieve more in much shorter time than over 200 governments talking about the same contexts over 20 years since Rio Summit 1992.
Jon Respati
Editor in Chief RESPECTS Magazine, Indonesia.
Congratulations, Craig!
Dear Craig,
I recently graduated from Rice University with a Civil Engineering degree and a Minor in Energy and Water Sustainability. Needless to say I have a pretty strong passion for alternative energy and sustainability and the sorts of success stories stemming from large corporations taking actions you refer to are those that excite me very much.
I don’t know how I came across your blog or when I subscribed, but I know I’ve been reading posts here and there that sound interesting for a couple of years now and am daring to comment for the first time (perhaps invigorated by Clinton’s speech):
I think the endeavor to gather tales of sustainability success would be very helpful for experts in the field to expand their library of sustainable practices, but I fear that this will be the extent of results generated by the task.
If that’s the goal, then I need not say anything further. However, if the goal is to gather these incredibly inspiring stories for the purpose of sharing them with the world in an outreach capacity, then I believe additional steps are necessary. I’m young and idealistic, and perhaps naive, but you seem well-connected.
There are only so many people (already involved in the field) that will read this blog or the microcosm of internet sites that snippets of the blog will be displayed in. Why not double-down on efforts to touch more readers with a well-written, well-researched article that is worthy of a large publication?
I love your blog and maybe I’m overreaching, but I feel that for this project to be most effective, curious-without-knowing individuals must stumble across it.
Thanks for the kind words and excellent suggestion, Mishal.
Btw, my boyhood friend David Leebron is president of your fine institution. I hope you’ve had the opportunity to listen to him speak. Each of his classmates knew, even as children, that David was brilliant beyond measure.
Dear Mishal,
I share your “idealism” that there should be more (workable) ideas developed, researched and well written about sustainable society development, and of course it should be disseminated to as wide as possible audience. I think Craig has done a good job by promoting ideas related to sustainability.
Therefore ‘heralding the initiatives taken by corporate world ( and in my view it must go hand in hand with academic community) is a good thing to do. The hope is that the “initiatives” will see its implementation in the real world and along the line it will have to benefit ALL, not only the elites or small group of big capital owners. I feel that the current concept of “green economy” does not give enough guarantee that it will also benefit the low incomers, small peasants/farmers, people living around the rain forests, etc. Therefore the concept should go beyond merely green economy. I call it the concept of (Green) Economy+.
this can only help further the cause we all feel is probably the most important of our lives. We have a local guy who is creating a website for items of local content to help eliminate the co2 of transportation. With grassroots and corporate sustainability proliferation we might bring understanding to those who have bought the misleading story from entreanched energy interests
That is exactly right, Barry.
Hey Craig;
Have tried to keep up with your good works, we’ve just about completed project, reminder,Large impeller driven wind turbine, filing Patent next week. Will drop you a line when we’ve received the pat notice.
The article above is great, maybe some of us small guys will get considered for a submission some time. Keep up the good stuff, your friend…
Ron
Sounds great. Btw, you may submit whatever you like. I encourage anyone with ideas relevant to the subject to become guest-bloggers.
Hi Craig,
We’re about to launch Earth Corporation, a social enterprise helping people and the planet by changing ATTITUDES towards our world and the way we think. We’re a mix of inovators and communicators seeking to use new-media as a powerful vehicle for change, sponsosored by large and small corporations and companies everywhere. By rallying the massive resources of business to mobilise people out of apathy and into a more responsible attitude towards the planet, we aim to kickstart a new age of earth-centredness to lead us to a sustainable future. We would love to join your initiative in any way we can.
Reg Wessels
President
Earth Corporation
“Earth is Everyones Business”
This sounds terrific, Reg. Please tell your people about 2GreenEnergy, and I’ll try to promote what you’re doing in return; pLease send more info on that when it’s available.