are you in the “triangle of sustainability”?
When Neville Isdell, the former Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola, spoke at the Gathering of One Hundred conference in Washington D.C., he expressed his thoughts on how business can tackle climate change. He called for the formation of new 
partnerships between business, government, and civil society, as part of what he referred to as the “triangle of sustainability.” Adding, “the political climate has changed. There is a new urgency among governments to address climate change.” Mr. Isdell also observed that this change must come amid our current economic recession, and that the role of business is to:
- Address our footprint;
- Extend our handprint; and
- Help shape the regulatory blueprint
In an effort to address their footprint, Coca-Cola is working on reducing their packaging, and increasing the amount of bottles they recycle. To better extend their handprint, Mr. Isdell says Coca-Cola has changed their refrigeration technology from HFC’s to a more efficient CO2 variety, and has challenged the rest of the industry to join them so the price can come down and the technology can be more broadly deployed. Finally he spoke of helping to shape the regulatory blueprint by endorsing the Caring for Climate Leadership platform of the UN Global compact in 2007.
For all that companies are currently doing, we need to do more. As Mr. Isdell said, “The mindset of business needs to move from ’should,’ to ‘must.’”
What do you think of Coca-Cola’s initiatives? Are they on the right track or is there another motive?
photo credit: World Economic Forum (flickr)
Michael,
Yes, we agree with you completely–a paradigm shift is needed. Every person, organization, and company must do their part to improve how we use the planet’s scarce resources. Unfortunately, I doubt we’ll see the issue move away from politics. Just look at what’s happening with the new energy bill. Those companies who stand to make money are supporting it, and others, such as the coal industry, are going to fight tooth and nail to water down this critical legislation.
I’m afraid it’s up to us as consumers, shareholders, and employees to influence corporations to make the right choices.
All stakeholders must be commited to the progress of a sustainable planet. Yet I feel that corporations must realize because their footprint is much greater then that of an individual, it must bear its equal share of the responsability. In order for this paradigm shift to occur, it can not remain a political issue. It must be accepted as fact and necessity.