Year 3 Residency, Day 3: Early Start to the Day
Sustainability Model: Demonstrates that the economy and society are dependent on the health of the environment.
I got an early start this morning, but am very tired this morning. I was working until about 11:00 p.m. last night on today’s presentation. However, there is a group of motorcyclists staying at my hotel and they were revving bikes and playing loud music until very late. Their partying makes concentration and sleeping more than a bit difficult.
My team is doing a presentation on Corporate Sustainability today. I’m presenting the sustainability and solution models. The first one is the Sustainability Model and the second is the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. The Sustainability Model demonstrates that the economy and society are dependent on the health of the environment. The literature shows that people tend to think that for corporations to be responsible they have to give away shareholders money. This model shows that doing business in a sustainable way insures that the organization will be able to continue making money for the shareholders.
What are your thoughts on this?
Thought-provoking post. Our environment affects our society and our economy. Very true. A good example, I think, would be global warming and the climate change issue we are dealing with today. The environment changes are forcing social and economic changes affecting our daily lives. The quakes in Haiti, the hurricane that hit New Orleans, the Coal mining explosion at Virginia last week — are maybe the effects that must not be ignored.
Catherine – what do you think? Am i thinking on the same lines as your post?
Hi Raj!
Your examples are very good. Because Haiti did not (or was not able to) invest in building codes and modern building practices, the earthquake has caused an economic, societal and environmental disaster.
Because we have not maintained the wetlands around New Orleans, the storm surge was able to come into the city. Because the Army Corp of Engineers did not properly build and maintain the levies, they were not able to withstand the storm surge and crumbled under the pressure.
The recent mine disasters in China and West Virginia show short-sightedness on the part of the mining companies. They have sacrificed lives and livelihoods for profits. I’m not sure what will happen in China, but I’d be willing to bet that the WV company will be sued into bankruptcy. Hopefully other mining companies will learn from this and begin practicing more sustainable and safe mining methods.
Thanks for responding!
I think this works long term or, in some cases even in the near-to-long term. The problem I think we have is that most corporations are overly focused on the next quarter’s results. Lots of education needed on this. Glad to see people thinking about this and working to change the perception.
Hi Dan!
A genuine paradigm shift will be needed to get all companies thinking along these lines. It is going to take an outcry from folks like you and me to get companies and the government to change practices and policies in order to achieve more sustainable businesses. We can all do our part by starting to change our practices and routines at home. What are you doing in your own home and business to implement sustainable practices?
Thanks for commenting!