Sustainable Futures Blog
Sustainability business strategies are becoming a crucial competitive advantage in a world battling issues such as global recession, climate change, limited access to natural resources and energy. Business leaders, managers and entrepreneurs need to be well-informed about environmental and social issues and about the opportunities that sustainable, green and responsible business approaches offer. This theme page provides information, examples and advice on topics such as green economic growth, sustainable business and environmental management – in short, anything to do with creating a more sustainable business future. Feedback welcome.
Villa Maria Estate – sustainable New Zealand wine at its best
Sustainable wine growing practices are becoming more and more common in New Zealand, it seems. One of the top ‘green’, sustainable and organic wine producers based in Aotearoa is award-winning Villa Maria Estate. Not only did Villa Maria Estate win the prestigious Green Ribbon Award back in June, it also won Sustainable Business Networks‘s sustainability challenge … Continue reading »
From small farm to UN summit: Kiwi start-up shows the way
While there are many start-ups eager to get hold of ‘green’ business opportunities out there, only a few are fortunate (and good) enough to succeed, not to mention gain international recognition. Kiwi environmental management software provider ecoPortal is one such example. Having featured ecoPortal co-founder Manuel Seidel in an exclusive interview some time back, I … Continue reading »
Big Biz or SME: Environmental management matters
New Zealand’s small and medium-sized businesses (SME) need to catch up with environmental management standards, says consultant Manuel Seidel in this interview. Environmental management system tools such as those offered at ecoPortal can help to maintain an overview on compliance with green regulation and sustainability practices. Continue reading »
Responsible business: what else(?)
In theory, responsible businesses distinguish themselves from their less-caring corporate peers by delivering not only economic but also environmental and societal value. But what does this look like in practice? Nathan Wimble from Carbon Neutral went to the Responsible Business Convention in London to find out. Some of the biggest global players, he learns, take … Continue reading »
Sustainability matters: Lessons for the CEO
What do chief executives and senior managers think about sustainability and what strategies do they follow to implement sustainability practices? In a new series called The Sustainable Organization, global accounting and consulting firm Accenture takes a look at sustainability implications for each senior management position, starting with the CEO. Its interviews with leaders from global … Continue reading »
Capitalism vs the Climate: Fight of no return?
A fierce battle is going on between climate deniers and those calling for radical change. Why so? This blog post reflects on a recent article by Naomi Klein and tries to suggest ways towards ‘climate peace’ and a sustainable future Continue reading »
Sustainability reporting: the next step
Corporate sustainability reporting has to become mandatory in order to reach sufficient progress towards sustainable development, writes Paul Hohnen, a consultant and Associate Fellow of Chatham House, in the Guardian. Governments should agree on globally valid guidelines of how companies are to report on sustainability aspects – the upcoming Rio+20 conference being perhaps the best … Continue reading »
What sustainability leaders need to know
With the years, leading for sustainability has become more and more an intimidating task. More complex the issues, more complex the proposed solutions. And many questions. How could one possibly expect business leaders to pursue the path to sustainability in times of economic turmoil and political uncertainty? Where to put the focus in a global … Continue reading »
Supply chain integral part of sustainability jigsaw
Sustainability should be embedded throughout the supply chain to give weight and credibility to a company’s sustainability credentials, writes Jill Poet, managing director of the Organisation for Responsible Businesses (ORB), in the Guardian. “Larger organisations are increasingly accountable to shareholders and the government for their social and environmental impacts, but invariably the bulk of that … Continue reading »
Sustainable business – the Maori way
Talking (and writing) so much about our Western approach to business and sustainability – and the shortcomings in both – it can be refreshing to take a step back and reflect on how people with other worldviews tackle the same issues. Take the Maori, for instance, considered to be New Zealand’s first settlers. Crippled by … Continue reading »
A CLEAR approach to connect sustainability to business strategy
For many business leaders, nothing is clear when it comes to applying sustainability principles to their corporate business strategy. Many different concepts and definitions compete for attention, hundreds of different approaches promise to deliver the holy grail of sustainable business success. Nevertheless, some sustainability approaches are more useful – particularly to the small and medium … Continue reading »
CEOs: Sustainability important to future business success
The vast majority of CEOs see sustainability as an engine of growth, writes Tracey de Morsella on greeneconomypost.com: “Despite an overall trend towards seeing sustainability as an opportunity for value creation and business success, according to a new research study published today by the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture, there are major differences in … Continue reading »
Most CEOs want to pursue sustainability but lack clear definition
A recent survey conducted by McKinsey reveals that it might be the lack of a fully defined and unilaterally agreed upon definition of sustainability that is discouraging executives from making it a conscious focus at companies, writes Aman Singh Das on the SustainabilityForum: It might also be the singular reason behind the few that report … Continue reading »
Sustainable business: Becoming ‘green’ only the start…
Being a sustainable business now is more than just managing the benefits you can see on your balance sheet. As the Guardian points out, “sustainable business is increasingly a necessity in ensuring continuity and smart effectiveness, as resource stress and climate change becomes more of a reality. Rather than a narrow focus on reducing the … Continue reading »
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