April 2011 Green Business Green Business?

What we are going to do ✤ Explore the Future ✤ Critique business practices in the light of the Future ✤ What is a Green Business? ✤ Questions & Next Steps

The Future ✤ Form groups of two - take turn to be an ancestor from the future & ask each other what was it like? what did you do?

What we know ✤ Energy ✤ Environment ✤ Economy ✤ Society ✤ People & Work ✤ Growth in current form is unsustainable, de-growth is unstable ✤ A summary Story of StuffStory of Stuff

Is this anything to do with us? ✤ What the Government thinks? ✤ What consumers think? ✤ Who has responsibility for this ✤ Paul Hawken Commencement Address at University of PortlandCommencement Address

Are our business practices fit for purpose? ✤ Business Processes ✤ Stuff that comes in ✤ Stuff that goes out ✤ Waste ✤ Community ✤ Reputation ✤ Industry & Influence Span

Are businesses fit for the future? ✤ What do you think? ✤ What are the risks we face? ✤ Do we need new ways of doing business?

What is a Green Business? ✤ Marketing tool ✤ A big concept ✤ Can be used narrowly e.g. retrofit buildings ✤ Evidence of growing demand for eco-literacy & evidence that students see this as a critical skill in the future ✤ Legislation & frameworks ✤ Evidence that Green/Sustainable Businesses are successful

So what is it! ✤ Business that contributes to society & well-being, recognises that we are part of a finite planet, ethical, socially responsible, real costs are apparent in its environment. ✤ Business that embeds approaches to sustainable development

Values & Principles of Sustainable Development ✤ Brundtland Commission development which "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.“ This would mean: Inter-connections & systems thinking Responsibility Innovation & creative thinking Flourishing rather than growth-orientated So a quick overview of Sustainability in an animationSustainability in an animation

How would you do it? Natural Step 4 principles Eliminate our contribution Un- sustainability – Look at concentrations of substances from crust of the earth – Look at concentrations of substances produces by society – Look at degradation of nature – Look at undermining of humanity’s capacity to meet needs worldwide Measure what you do? - Triple Bottom Line Learn to analyse issues and choices from an environmental, social and economic perspective at the same time rather than separately ( Forum of the Future/ Learning & Skills for Sustainable Development)

Who is doing it? ✤ IKEA ✤ Marks & Spencer ✤ Wal-Mart ✤ Unilever ✤ NIKE ✤ Chiqita ✤ GAP

What would this look like in the Marshes? ✤ Over to you.

Next Steps & Questions ✤ What do you think? What are the questions that need to be explored further? ✤ Resources -