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 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 Portland

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 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 - www.dkit.ie/sustainableliving