PERSONAL INFLUENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
It was some weeks ago when I decided to feature sustainability in this newsletter, and since then it’s been a little like ‘new car’ syndrome. You know what it’s like, you buy a car and then suddenly you notice how many there are on the road just like yours! Once my antennae were up, I allowed myself to be ‘bombarded’ with information about a more sustainable world. It’s been engaging and thought provoking as I have picked my way carefully through it.
I chose this topic because I feel strongly that, although there are many ‘initiatives’ afoot to combat global warming, support the developing world and effect corporate social responsibility, it is still down to each individual to do our bit. If I, and others, take the view ‘why should I recycle – my neighbour doesn’t do it’, the net effect could be devastating. So the purpose of this newsletter is to give you some ideas, if you feel so inclined, for how you can support and influence sustainability in your business.
We’ll hear from the Chairman of John Lewis; Prince Charles; Fiona Astin from Synergy Housing Group; and about the commitment being made by the graduating MBA class from Harvard for taking personal responsibility.
I trust you will find some ideas and inspiration to help you do even more for a sustainable world.
With my very best wishes,
Helen
FEATURED ARTICLE
With Harvard Business School MBA graduates pledging to ‘create sustainable economic, social and environmental prosperity worldwide’, it got me wondering what individuals can do to influence a sustainable agenda in their place of work. A surprising amount, it seems. You can read about it here.
PRINCE CHARLES ON ‘FACING THE FUTURE’
One of the individuals who, I believe, has been leading the way for some time on the matter of sustainability is Prince Charles. I’ve always been a fan of his, and I thought his Dimbleby lecture Facing the Future, televised on 8th July was excellent.
What I really love about his approach is how he recognises that we are all part of a bigger system. ‘We are not separate from nature. We are nature.’ He talks about the natural rhythms of life and ‘globalization from the bottom up’, observing that ‘nature grows things from the roots up, not the sky down’.
If you missed it, you can read the transcript on Prince Charles’ website.
CHARLIE MAYFIELD, CHAIRMAN, JOHN LEWIS
On the question of business leaders taking responsibility for sustainability, here’s a 4-minute clip of Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of John Lewis. He’s speaking on You Tube on behalf of the Prince’s Charities about frogs, and the importance of rainforests.
I’ve got a lot of respect for Charlie. He and I worked together on the Lucozade brand many years ago and I think he’s done incredibly well to get to where he is. I admit though, to finding this edited interview rather disappointing. As the head of a hugely respected retail giant, Charlie is well-placed to take a lead on environmental issues. This video has been posted on You Tube for a reason ... but it’s not clear to me what that is, and I was hoping for something more hard-hitting. It comes across to me as a rather weak PR ploy. See what you think.
CASE STUDY - FIONA ASTIN TAKES THE INITIATIVE
Synergy Housing Group is made up of three housing associations which provide affordable housing to nearly 9,000 households. Fiona Astin is the Group Development Manager at Synergy, and in 2005 she took it upon herself to introduce a more sustainable agenda in the organization. Since then, Fiona has gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business, and has represented Synergy at a Business Leaders’ seminar in Austria hosted by Cambridge University.
Find out how she has been the catalyst for lower vehicle emissions and more sustainable purchasing, and has implemented a long term plan to deliver against 10 key features of a sustainable housing association.
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