Today is my first proper work day in 2010. So why not start the year with a post about what this year might have in store for us when we look at Sustainability and some of its topical areas. Here are my thoughts on a some topics.
Sustainability in general
2010 will be a transition year when we are speaking of major developments in the Sustainability field during 2010. The big Copenhagen conference is over, the economy is still in global crisis and companies will look to strengthen their bottom line rather than their Sustainability activities. I am not trying to be overly pessimistic here but realistic. We have had our chance in Copenhagen. A chance to pave the way for a more sustainable future …… and we blew it.
Climate Change
The beginning of the year will be about making sense of the Copenhagen Accord (horrible name by the way!) Climate change activists and NGO’s will look for a new direction. And so far I cannot see an indication where they will lead us. Let’s just hope most of them choose the collaboration route rather than activism. And yes the parties from Copenhagen are planning to meet in Mexico this year for the so called Cop16. But for now the momentum has been lost and needs to pick up again. How? That is what we need to figure out now.
CSR Reporting
A lot of company reports will further transition into purely online reporting with only some printed publications next to it in my opinion. This is a good trend which will most likely continue as most companies will discover that CSR Reports are much more useful online than in print.
Stakeholder Engagement
Many companies will have to tackle this uncomfortable topic again as stakeholder pressure in all areas of Sustainability will only increase during 2010 due to the dire global economic situation. Engaging your stakeholders is crucial for all organizations, large or small, in order to have the support for the actions and decisions this company will make.
There is also danger of emerging radical stakeholder activism in my opinion. Activism which is not based on collaboration but only seeks to undermine and damage the Sustainability efforts of the particular organization. This is the last thing companies and we as their stakeholders need.
I also expect companies in the energy and consumer products sector to be the most innovative companies with regards to stakeholder engagement in Sustainability. They have to actively seek stakeholder feedback to be able to sell more. If they don’t do this they are missing out on a big opportunity.
Sustainability Leadership by CEO’s
2010 will also be a crucial year to see whether an increasing number of CEO’s will move into a leadership role with regards to Sustainability. 2009 has seen the emergence of the CEO’s of Timberland, Interface and many others speaking out about their actions and what they would like to see other organizations do with regards to Sustainability. These CEO’s have shown that doing good and communicating can lead to better reputation and increased sales. But they have also shown us that business needs to communicate in an open and honest way. This is the recipe for success and nothing else.
These are some of the thoughts which came to mind when I looked at the year ahead. What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree?
Picture Credit: sillygwailo