Recently we were asked the question above and thought it was a good one that warranted a couple of posts. You’ll be able to read about Amy’s thoughts on the question in the near future. The answer I usually give when asked is that I have a personal passion for sustainability and I believe that for brands and businesses to be successful in the future they must have more sustainable business models. This is not because every consumer will become an tree-hugger and boycott products not packaged in 100% recycled cartons, that is the short term thinking most companies are pursuing. It is because there are significant long term strategic advantages that come from building sustainability practices into the core operation of a business. A book that I believe clearly lays this out is Andrew Winston and Daniel Esty’s Green to Gold. As a follow-up I am looking to begin reading Andrew Winstons’s new book, Green Recovery. As a side note, I wish he would have released it as an audio book on iTunes, Amy and I have a lot of car time coming up and audio books are a great use of that time.
The follow-up questions I then get are, “But why travel to document sustainability? Why not just focus on the US market, there are lots of examples here, in fact most of the examples in Green to Gold are US based.” True, but there is substantial variance in how each country is progressing, or not, on the path to a more sustainable future for the planet. According to the 2008 Environmental Performance Index Report* the United States ranks 39th out of 149 countries. On our trip we plan on visiting countries that rank as high as 7th (New Zealand) and as low as 112th (U.A.E.). Seeing these differences, learning from them and documenting the impact this has on consumers and businesses will lead to a better understanding of how to tackle the significant challenges we face here in the US.
Finally the answer I do not usually give is that in some way I need to have a plan. I have spent 8 years creating business plans with goals, metrics, strategies and tactics and the idea of disappearing for a year with no plan just did not sit well with me. I need to be able to point back to this experience and clearly articulate that Amy and I had a vision, goals and metrics and we worked incredibly hard to achieve and exceed them. I guess we could have just packed up and traveled without an overarching goal, because many travelers do and have an amazing time, but it is not who we are.
I look forward to your comments and thoughts below. Are we being too goal orientated? If you are a traveler do you think we will be able to keep it up for the entire trip? Also any book recommendations are always appreciated, especially if they come in audio form.
*Source: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University. “2008 Environmental Performance Index Report“. http://www.yale.edu/epi/files/2008EPI_Text.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-31
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This is a fascinating read on recycling in it’s many forms: http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Poops-My-Body-Science/dp/192913214X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251810140&sr=8-3
Just got this list:
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/chris-jarvis/innovative-thinking-corporate-volunteering/51-great-sites-corporate-social-respons
My MPA thesis isn’t an audiobook (yet:) ) but you each might find something interesting in it; Amy re: legal issues and you re: sustainable business models (I’ll spare you for now; maybe when we’re both back in the States!). If you aren’t familiar with B Corp (listed on the above Fast Company list) I’d definitely suggest checking them out; especially since they’re based near Philly.
Robyn – thanks for the link this is very helpful. Maybe we can set up a skype call or video conferance for us to discuss your thesis, or better yet take a week in October and come join us in Turkey.
good luck! sustainability is about much more than popular trends or corporate greenwashing, it’s about lifecycles and lifestyles
one of my favorite reads, a classic co-written by an architect and a chemist:
http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm
Dan thanks for the reco, Cradle to Cradle is one of my favorite books on sustainability. I could not agree more that we need to get beyond just doing things the same way we always have, except now in a slightly better for the environment way. I know that in that reinvention of the way things get done there will be significant business opportunity to provide solutions for businesses and consumers. My goal this year is to begin to identify those opportunities.