The vision behind our idea is a world where people don't carry hazardous chemicals in their bodies, the environment is free of toxic pollutants, and the economy diligently conserves its natural resources for consumers and future generations. We want to make it easier for consumers to create this world through their purchasing decisions and everyday activities.
Yes, I am optimistic about the environment. If you assume business is exerting the most negative influence on the environment and also has the possibility to impact it positively, there are a bunch of forces that are impacting business that are fundamentally different from the situation 3 or 4 years ago.
I think that today, more so than ever, corporate responsibility is the best strategic as well as financial path that most businesses can follow. For most businesses there are both compelling reasons to be responsible and compelling statistics that validate that responsible businesses do better according to traditional financial metrics. Of course, how you define "responsible" is somewhat of a conundrum.
What does the world need that you can provide?” Express your social mission, whether it’s cause marketing, volunteering, culture, environmental initiatives, sustainable products, or corporate philanthropy Start before scale: make a commitment, take small steps and then scale when you’re ready Internalize and share your social mission Be unfailingly transparent – “If you’re not scared by what you’re saying, you’re not sharing enough
The more money that you have, the easier it becomes to hide that and avoid taxes.
My experience to date has been that change, particularly relative to business, rarely happens in a revolutionary way. That isn't to say there are not times when major change happens, but my experience is that particularly when you're encouraging businesses to change of their own volition, the change is more slow over time. I don't think global trade is going to go away. I think it's unlikely that global trade and multinationals are not going to be around.
Seventh Generation’s work with Carol Sanford made me a better values-based leader.
