Categories: Knights' Hood
February 21 Roundup: Suzuki is Boss, Reining in Rogue Capitalism, and Rio+20
Just Means
The Rio+20 conference is forecast to be the largest event in the history of the United Nations. The aim of the global gathering is to set the sustainability agenda for the next decade. This is no mere meet-n-greet, kids. World leaders and international businesses are slated to rub their heads together in what is likely the biggest vulcan mind meld the world has ever seen. This article sums up the KPMG report in a warning to the Rio+20: Focus on the value of corporate sustainability. Or else.
Brief History of the Corporate Century
Adbusters
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." (A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, in case you were grasping.) How did history lead us from modern corporations being illegal when the U.S. was founded to a time when corporations permeate every part of modern life? Here's a (very) brief and anecdotal history to shed some light.
The Sydney Morning Herald
When he was invited to speak about sustainability to PepsiCo execs, Suzuki said "Pepsi is sugared water and is creating unbelievable health problems. I find it hard to justify a company like yours existing." Bow down to the keeper of the web of life.
Forbes
Corporate Social Responsibility is not just good for the environment and its people, but for the bottom line, as well. In the following list, there are plenty of examples where keeping CSR at a business' core has led to improved products at a fraction of the cost. We keep saying it, but it's good to hear corporations say it, too: CSR is good for everyone.
Five Tips to Achieve Sustainable Capitalism
Forbes
Quarterly reports are the bain of sustainable development. If your company makes the huge step of going from non-renewables to renewable energy, for example, you likely won't see mind-blowing savings or an explosion of investment in the next quarter. But this "problem" of not seeing instantaneous results has bred a culture of rogue capitalism. Here are five ways to change that.