“Green” Values Aren’t About Branding: It’s About Survival

August 1st, 2007

There’s a new blog called 21st Century Citizen that explores what the true values should be for those who are living in this century. This is very different from the Environmental Leader blog that’s discussing where your company’s brand will be when the “green” fad ends. One is deeply felt and strategic, while the other marks a trend. Enterprises must make the strategic choices, rather than branding through “quick fixes.” That never works.

Having been around in the ’70s when there was an earlier “green” movement, I know that all issues have a life cycle shaped like a bell curve. Al Gore has now made environmental issues hot (no pun intended) by talking about global warming. Indeed, we will come to a compromise system of carbon trading and emissions efficiencies, regulations and compromises, and then environmental issues will be off the table as emergencies once more.

But 21st Century Citizen asks the question “should you ride or bike?” and comes to grips with some of the complexities involved in that decision. To bike, many people would have to move closer to their jobs. Or change jobs. Or work from home. Or move closer to the grocery store. The long and short of it is that we have to re-examine not one choice, but all of our life choices as individuals in order to create sustainability. I think the purpose of this new blog is to start the discussion about the future.

And corporations are pondering some of the same decisions, as well. It’s not just your greenhouse gases that you have to track. It’s your chemical waste. It’s the components of your supply chain, and the byproducts of your manufacturing process. Environmental issues may disappear and re-appear from the radar screen per se, but the safety issues posed by environmental contaminants around people will always be an issue for employers. The world is round, not flat, which means we have finite resources available to meet our ever increasing population’s demand. The thoughtful management of these resources as well as our waste and pollution byproducts will continue to become ever more critical for sustainability.

This round of environmental initiatives isn’t about branding. It is about survival.

Tags: carbon trading environmental issues global warming greenhouse gases

Entry Filed under: Operational Risk Management, Sustainability, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Corporate Governance