The ideas that constitute Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) circulating in civil society and in the political arena are inexorably moving into the business environment. For instance, 50 transnational corporations pledged to become advocates for sustainability through the United Nations' Global Compact established in July 2000. The Compact's 9 principles, which are set out in Appendix 1, amalgamate human rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights), labour standards (International Labour Organisation's Fundamental Principles on Rights at Work) and the environment (Rio Principles on environment and development). A few, but perhaps a growing number of the many organisations, groups and individuals that work in the business environment want business to be conducted in a way that is compatible with ESD ideas. Some, such as governments and consumer opinion have considerable persuasive power over business, and many transnational corporations have powerful leadership roles within business and can be influential politically and socially too.
More rapid uptake of ESD ideas by business can help society solve two kinds of equally urgent and interlinked crises that are becoming increasingly apparent in the world today. These are:
1. The substantial and multiple environmental crises, and
2. The crises that result from failure to meet people' demands for justice and fair treatment.
In various ways, business activities along with governments, other organisations and individual families have been instrumental in creating these two groups of crises. Averting the worst consequences of these crises for individual and families, and progressing towards sustainability is only likely to be achieved if the four instrumental groups (government, other organisations, individual families and business) accept this as a challenge and work together to achieve it.
ESD ideas relate to both groups of crises and contain objectives that are of interest to all four instrumental groups. Thus ESD provides common ground for cooperative action. An example of the objectives that ESD embodies is contained in the 1992 Australian Strategy for ESD. The strategy's goal and core objectives are set out in Appendix 2. The bulk of ESD ideas are set out in a number of international statements and agreements.
ESD ideas relate to the goals and ideals of all of society and are not exclusively economic or business orientated. Most ESD ideas tend to be couched in broad 'political language' that tends to belie their origins in real life disasters and well-founded concerns about the welfare of people. Translating these broad ESD ideas into business language and business practices is primarily a job for business people. However, it may not be easy for business people to focus beyond the imperatives of the immediate business environment of suppliers, customers, financiers, insurers, regulators and so on, to see, clarify, then seize an opportunity embodied in ESD ideas. Yet for those that take the trouble their businesses could benefit from society's desire for sustainability if they deliver the kinds of products and services that meet sustainability standards and if they use business practices that are in themselves ethically and environmentally responsible. The business opportunities that ESD ideas contain relate to every mainstream activity within society, so no business need miss out on making a profitable contribution to sustainability.
Business people might adopt ESD ideas, not because of any altruistic motivation, but as a response to long term society and thus market demands. There are thousands of opportunities waiting to be seen, clarified and seized. But business is only one element in the social system and to be effective several other elements need to be on track; for instance, it would be helpful to have the tax system and customers both supporting services that contribute to sustainability. However, Elkington thinks that in the future "Business, much more than governments or non-government organisations (NGOs), will be in the driver's seat" (Elkington 1999). And Arnold and Day agree "Our conviction is that business is the most powerful sector of society for solving environmental problems", and "Business must take a lead in sustainable development for at least two reasons. First, the political will in most countries to alter environmental and social policy substantially is simply not there…Second, the innovative power of the private sector has barely been tapped on these issues."
Source:
FSED
