The Economist is hosting a sustainability summit on March 23rd / 24th. Details here. Its blurb says:
Over the past two centuries, global economic development has often come at the expense of our environment. Ice caps have melted, forests have been flattened, noxious fumes expelled and species wiped out, all in the name of a type of progress that threatens to be unsustainable. In late 2015 at COP21 in Paris governments made bold commitments to limit climate change, but there is still much more to be done if their aims are to be delivered, and the election of Donald Trump has cast doubts on US policy. The issue of sustainability is a multifaceted one, and cannot be tackled by policy alone; international business must also rise to the challenge. But how can businesses evolve and develop their practices to improve their environmental footprint? Is it possible to make adjustments that have a net positive impact on revenue? And what are the challenges that multinational companies face in implementing such changes across borders?
In March 2016, The Economist Events’ Sustainability Summit in London offered an alarming prognosis: adapt or die. In 2017 we will be evaluating progress and the scalability of sustainability initiatives, while asking the crucial question: what does the Paris Agreement and the push for greater environmental sustainability mean for business? Bringing together leading critical thinkers, policymakers and business leaders, the Sustainability Summit will offer strategies, ideas and solutions to decision makers, helping them to turn challenges into new opportunities and prepare for the future.
These are the questions to be addressed:
- What steps can we take to break the prevailing short-termism which dominates the markets and begin to act with an eye to the future?
- How can policy-makers better address market failings and encourage a move toward a circular economy?
- In what ways do our current, global regulatory frameworks account for climate change?
- How can we leverage the capital markets and big business to create a more sustainable economy?
- Where should investors direct their capital in order to make the biggest impact?
- From source to shelf, how can businesses take better stock of natural capital and ensure resource efficiency all the way across their supply chains?
- Could technological innovation provide some of the solutions we need to deliver sustainable growth? And, how can we scale the green tech that already exists?
- How can we further the social components of the SGDs and create a more inclusive marketplace around the world?
Do you notice what's missing from this list?
Responses
Hi Bill,
I am intrigued by what you think is missing?