Points to Ponder

On sustainable behaviour (1):

“More people are asking: “Is ‘sustainability’ good enough?” It’s not, of course. As Michael Braungart observes: “If somebody asked you how your marriage was doing, and you said, ‘Well, its sustainable,’ they wouldn’t be enthusiastic. They’d say, ‘I’m terribly sorry to hear that.’”

 So what’s beyond sustainability? Braungart and Bill McDonough talk about “cradle to cradle.” John Ehrenfeld talks about flourishing. Jean Russell talks about thriveability. But what would that look like? What would we have to do—as business people, customers, citizens—to get there?”

Gil Philip Friend, president & ceo, Natural Logic Inc.

On sustainable behaviour (2):

“For those who are trying to promote sustainable behaviour in the workplace, there is an obvious place that most employees would look to for leadership: their employer. Changes in personal behaviours among workers can catalyse further changes from an employer because the argument that “we’ve done our bit – now you do yours” is a powerful one… So although engaging with employee and customer behaviour is a messier, more complex and more time-intensive way of thinking about sustainability, it is ultimately the only way that substantial progress in CSR is likely to be achieved.”

Dr Adam Corner, Climate Outreach and Information Network

On leadership:

“Where successful global firms stand out is usually not in the quality of the underlying analyses, but in the ability of their leaders to bring together people from different cultures and economic realities. To successfully lead a global organisation, leaders need to possess a global mindset. Simply put, being global -- by leading and acting globally- requires that you first master the ability to think globally.”

Dr. Angel Cabrera, president of George Mason University,USA

On ethical practice:

“Consumers have turned a green corner. Long gone are the days where brands used green business gimmicks as a key differentiator in the market. In the modern marketplace, ethical business practice is not only expected, it’s assumed.”

Peter Harris, director of sustainability for Europe, UPS