Business Needs a Safe Climate

It is time to connect the economy and ecology in a positive way.

The economy often dominates the media and people are concerned about jobs. Business is the driving force of industrial civilisation.
Public listed companies are required by law to deliver profit to their shareholders but in the in which that profit is calculated take no account of the underlying cost of using nature's resources and services. The way we presently account for economic activity actively encourages business to trash the environment.

Despite these problems, many large businesses recognise that they will be badly affected by disruptions in supply lines and resource availability. Some are taking a leadership position and rethinking about how they do business. Sustainability is a current buzz word.

There are a number of organisations that seek to measure how well a business performs on the so-called triple bottom line of financial, environmental and social performance. While it is an improvement on simple financial measure, it fails to address that the fundamental ground rules are flawed. One such index is the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, which are updated annually. The 2011 review saw 41 companies added to their list and 21 companies deleted. Among the deletions was the Coca Cola Company, even through they had embarked up a raft of environmental improvement actions. The company commented:

"We were disappointed to learn that we were not included in this year's Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, but were pleased to see that the index showed an uptick in our scores in packaging, water-related risks and raw material sourcing, reflecting our continued leadership and investments in these critical areas.

Sustainability is core to our business and we see it as a key driver for creating long-term value. We will continue to advance our efforts and actions to make a positive difference everywhere we engage. "

 
When large businesses see how markets are changing, when they detect a shift in customer sentiment, they can become powerful agents to push change forward. Companies such as Coca Cola are among the ones who both benefit from and shape public perception.

You can influence business by your custom (or not) and by becoming a shareholder if the company’s stock is openly traded. Readers are encouraged to do both and registered users of the site can see the techniques and results others have been getting when trying to influence business.