ESG
“ From a company ’ s point of view , I think this is when they have the whole organisation buy into it , thinking about sustainable development through everything they do ,” says GRI ’ s Adams .
“ I call it ‘ sustainable development thinking ’ that informs strategy and informs the business model , so the products and services are all designed and developed with a view to minimising any negative impact on sustainable development and creating a positive impact that brings long-term success .”
Verizon ’ s Kirk says success translates to three main things : The progress against the targets it sets , the impact of its programmes on humans and society at large , and how it brings together all of Verizon ’ s resources to achieve success for the communities it serves – as well as employees , customers , investors , partners and other internal and external stakeholders .
That sounds almost impossible to manage as , we all know , you can ’ t please all of the people all of the time . Or can you ?
Peshawaria believes that only if solutions create win-win-win prosperity ( where investors , employees , and society prosper together ) will we make meaningful progress . “ What companies get wrong is thinking they need to give up some profit for purpose . No . They need to innovate enough to make win-win-win a reality , and not give up profit at all ,” he says . “ That ’ s the leadership challenge of the 21st century , not CSR or charity .
“ I strongly believe CSR is ineffective . Giving up growth or profits to serve society is not sustainable . We need companies that can maximise profits and growth by addressing the very challenges threatening planet Earth and humanity .
74 March 2024