The Climate Debate Gloves Are Off

But who will win?

 

I just had to share this to make sure you didn’t miss it.

THE best magazine cover, story and quote for quite some time. A bold statement to the core of the climate denier community. Congratulations Josh Tyrangiel (Editor) and all at Bloomberg Businessweek.

There is already a robust and increasing discourse around climate change brought on by Hurricane Sandy and this for me is a great stick in the ground for where we are at today. There is more hope for tomorrow.

 

The cover…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The quote…

Our cover story this week may generate controversy, but only among the stupid. buswk.co/PIUzUl via @BW—
Josh (@Tyrangiel) November 01, 2012

 

 

The story…

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-01/its-global-warming-stupid#p1

 

 

Sandy Creates US Climate Hope?

As I watch the revealing impact of the storm in the US and the power of nature wreaking havoc on the financial heartland of the US I wonder if we are witnessing the pivotal moment in the US climate change debate?

We cannot not underestimate the impact of an again vulnerable New York,  to overcome stubborn political denial and corporate lobbying. From a detached, long distance perspective I get an uneasy feeling of similarity to watching the initial aftermath of the atrocities of 9/11 as terrorism succeeded in passing the previously impermeable American defences. Their response then was a robust, to say the least, retaliation on those responsible, but who can be blamed for extreme weather in the case of Sandy and what realistic actions can be taken before the next storm? And there will be a next storm, and another.

Sandy has in one weather event demonstrated tangibly that nature inevitably, albeit at a distance for the most part, directs financial institutions,  not the other way around. As extreme weather becomes increasingly regular and grows in intensity as climate models predict, will this week like none before ignite the fuse of US coherent action beyond political differences? I’m an optimist, we have to be. This, like never before in history is an opportunity for a true leader to step forward.

It will be interesting to watch the remainder of both Barack Obama’s and Mitt Romney’s campaigns and assess where climate now stands in their sales pitches to American voters. Could the storm ravaged surroundings of Wall Street be the setting for a renewed response to climate change and the unexpected vote winner of both the US public and financial community?

 

Yes we can repair this world

Barack Obama (at 12 minutes in the video below).

 

Genuine Leadership Comes From MERIT*

The world needs leaders, and more than ever leaders with a strong moral compass.

You may remember my post about 2012  To Be  Big Year For Somebody, if not Your Big Year is a global competition aimed at identifying and nurturing the young  leaders of the future from across the globe through a year of travel and meeting current world leaders. Year one was big. Year two was bigger, and next year will see something new and even bigger.

Here is last year’s Your Big Year winner, the amazing Charles Batte, to set the scene…

 

The evolution is called World MERIT* (the asterisk is part of the brand!) and takes the concept well beyond that of Your Big Year.

The huge challenges of our tomorrows require a new breed of leader today. We have all been let down by those in historic positions of power across business and society that now require inspiration from those who are genuinely and tangibly connected to grassroots communities. Your Big Year began to unearth countless potential talented people from diverse backgrounds but could never nurture more than the overall individual winners. That needed to change.

So without further ado, relax and enjoy…

 

Trust me, this is going to be BIG. World MERIT* will officially launch later this year, and this is just the tip of the iceberg with a revolution being nurtured in parallel behind the WM* scenes.

I’ve agreed to help Chris Arnold (@MERITChris) and his team spread the message to the corporate world to help identify those looking to find potential World MERIT* candidates in their own organisations. So if you want more information about engaging your company send me message and I’ll connect you to Chris.

Watch this space…

Integrated Reporting Gets Closer

“The world has changed – reporting must too.”

When the economic crisis hit many more than a handful of people became harbingers of CSR and Sustainability doom, how wrong they were. Not only has the disasters at the hands of financiers and governments cemented the responsibility agenda at the heart of mainstream business philosophy, it specifically lit the fuse on a new group with one thing on its mind.

Today the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC) launches it’s ‘landmark approach to corporate reporting‘, and calls for feedback on their Discussion Paper called Towards Integrated Reporting - Communicating Value in the 21st Century.

The IIRC is a group of global businesses, investors, academia, civil society, UN leaders and His Responsible Highness The Prince of Wales (see video below) aiming to update the way businesses demonstrate their accountability.

What is Integrated Reporting you ask?

Integrated Reporting brings together material information about an organisations strategy, governance, performance and prospects in a way that reflects the commercial, social and environmental context within which it operates. It provides clear and concise representation of how an organisation demonstrates stewardship and how it creates and sustains value. An Integrated Report should be an organisations primary reporting vehicle.

Irish Innovation Wins The Imagine Cup 2011

When you’re asked to judge six entries in a student technology competition it could be easy to not relate to the more than 350,000 first round entries from across the entire globe. Wait a few hours and throw in appearances by the Salesman Mayor of New York, Mike Bloomberg and Eva Longoria and the cream of student technological innovation at an extravagant Awards finale and you really aren’t able to miss the big picture.

The Imagine Cup is Microsoft’s student competition encouraging innovation through technology  in order to solve the world’s toughest problems. This year following feedback from students themselves the Millennium Development Goals were offered as inspiration for the teams to focus their efforts on.

I’d agreed to take part in judging the finals in New York City and ended up seeing the Imagine Cup world the wrong way around. I arrived in to cast my eye on the best and then got to see the rest of the 400 invited students at the event Showcase at the Lincoln Center the following day.

I’ll always offer whatever time I can to support or encourage young people of every circumstance to strive to make an impact for a better world. It also usually a fantastic environment for perspective and inspiration. I recently participated in a very similar event as a judge for Societe Generale’s Citizen Act, but with more of an obvious financial focus. I will guarantee that a social impact leader will emerge from either if not both events, and most others like them.

The Imagine Cup 2011 goes to the winners in the Software Design category, my judging task, and was awarded to Team Hermes from Ireland (pictured right and in the video below) with their approach to improve road safety.

L’Oreal – Because Sustainability Is Worth It

If beauty is merely in the eye of the beholder, nobody has told L’Oreal.

They have 66,000 employees, sell 161 products every second in 130 countries and produce 5.4 billion products every year.

Yesterday saw L’Oreal step up its sustainability engagement with the first of four planned global stakeholder engagement forum events, with the first held in London.

My expectations were similar to those before the Microsoft Accelerator Summit I was invited to last year, i.e. not huge due to minimal information sent beforehand, me being a busy 3BL Media bee and L’Oreal never over energetically communicating their activity, all against a backdrop of a couple of  slippery issues including animal testing and the acquisition of Body Shop part of their history.

Much more information on their sustainable development approach is available online here, but I’ll give you a brief perspective on the event and some of the key issues below.

The headlines include the company looking to double their business by 2015 whilst reducing CO2 by 50%, waste by 50% and water use by 50% (across the period 2005 – 2015).

Watch This Video And Don’t Worry About Climate Change

My briefest post ever.

Watch this video and don’t think about climate change this week:

 

 

 

Still think it’s all unrelated?

Words feel irrelevant.

What will our climate gift us next year?

 

 

 

 

 

‘CSR – Size Is Important’ says UN Global Compact

 

Today saw the release of the 2010 UN Global Compact Annual Review and Implementation Survey.

“While the sustainability movement has taken great strides in recent years, significant challenges remain,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact.

“Helping smaller companies close performance gaps, stimulating collective action on all fronts and making a stronger case for human rights and anti-corruption engagement will be critical if we are to bring corporate responsibility to scale.”

 

Compared to around 99% of business being small or medium enterprises ( SMEs) in many developed countries, only 54% make up the participant base of the Compact, and even less, 38% responded to the 2010 survey.

Even though the Global Compact is often about as far away as possible from the innovative and entrepreneurial flavour of Corporate Responsibility / Corporate Sustainability (terms used interchangeably by UNGC) I gravitate towards, I always feel a reassurance from UNGC’s role and Georg Kell’s stewardship at the top of CSR pyramid steering through the treacle-like waters of politics and international bureaucracy.

We all know that smaller businesses aren’t engaging and resources are an issue, don’t we? I personally think that a lack of resources is an stock cop out by too many SMEs. Thought, behaviour change and innovation can be inexpensive and often free.

I have to mention a feeling of unease I felt right at the end of the 12 minute webcast (click on image below) today as Georg Kell asked for questions to be met only with an eerie silence. Was this a demonstration of the lack of support / enthusiasm for UNGC,  as the camera panned to show a mere scattering of bashful audience members? It may have been more of an organisational faux pas than my cynical mind created but these are global issues being presented, surely appropriate representation from public and private sectors was the order of the day? Did FIFA organise the tickets?

 

Here are some of the Survey’s key findings:

2011 – A Good Year for CSR Communications in Europe

 

 

 

 

 

Time for a quick update on my movements in the world of CSR.

After a couple of years talking with all those friendly sorts at 3BL Media, sharing blog posts, tweets,  Skype conversations and even yours truly sat in front of a video camera for 3BL TV, we decided it was time to announce our formal engagement.

Whilst Coethica continues to grow with all involved taking more on, I will be spending the majority of my time in 2011 as European Director for 3BL Media, bringing their impressive communications platform to this side of the Atlantic.

For those who read this blog who don’t know 3BL Media, they’re the leading CSR and sustainability communications distributors. Yes, there are others out there, you know who they are but I’m not giving them any search engine kudos here, but I’ve been constantly impressed by the team at 3BL, and in particular with their ethos, focus and vision.

I’ve been fascinated for some time by the proliferation of American CSR content online and this is my way of helping Europe readdress the balance. Should I mention the Ryder Cup here? Maybe not a good idea.

So, if anybody out there in the blogosphere wants great CSR and sustainability content in all forms of media (video, audio, articles, press releases, blog posts for bloggers, news sites, networks etc) or you need to get your company’s message out the widest authoritative and engaged audience, from anywhere in Europe, I’m your man.

3BL only very recently announced a new partnership with the Global Reporting Initiative, you really should see the CSR Report special edition videos for Reuters (latest: CSR and Sustainable Retail video below), and there is much, much more coming along the pipeline soon via the USA office.

Just wait until I get started – it’s going to be fun!

 

Come and join the 3BL Media family yourself by checking out the links below:

www.3blmedia.com

3BL Media on LinkedIn

3BL Media on Facebook

3BL Media on Twitter

 

I guess there will also be a few more communications related posts heading this way as I climb up the learning curve of media distribution.

It’s a good job 3BL’s corporate colours match the shirt in my avatar

Go and say hello to Greg Schneider, Cindy Esposito, Doug Fulton and all of our growing Trans-Atlantic 3BL family.

 

A Great Small Green Book

Book Review:

The Three Secrets of Green Business

 

If you’re part of a small business in the UK and want an easy to read yet comprehensive guide to green business, go no further, even forget Google searches, this is it.

I have been known to be less than complimentary towards some books and guides allegedly aimed at the SME market, as many don’t genuinely understand their intended audience.

Gareth’s tone and content are perfect for many time poor managers pushed into dealing with today’s growing green pressures, and usually with little previous experience of environmental management.

Any book that is confident enough to use words as accessible as ‘stuff’ and ‘jollies’ (i.e. an indulgent unnecessary business trip) whilst remaining authoritative works for me.