A New Era of Sustainability - UN Global Compact?Accenture CEO Study 2010

Sidney Vianna

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A New Era of Sustainability - UN Global Compact–Accenture CEO Study 2010

From https://microsite.accenture.com/sus...sights/Pages/A-New-Era-of-Sustainability.aspx

Today’s CEOs are more committed than ever to creating a sustainable business. Yet the motivator is no longer just social responsibility; it’s now equally about achieving high performance measured in terms such as lower costs, stronger customer relationships and increased revenues.
This relentless business focus is a key characteristic of a “new era of sustainability,” one in which environmental, social and corporate governance issues are embedded throughout operations, the supply chain and subsidiaries. That era is closer than one might think, according to a new report from the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture, based on a global survey of more than 750 CEOs and in-depth interviews with 50 of the world’s foremost CEOs in a range of industries and geographies.
Other insights from the research, the largest CEO-based study on sustainability of its kind to date, include:
  • 93 percent of Global Compact CEOs see sustainability as important to their future success.
  • Performance gaps exist between those who agree with the importance of embedding sustainability into the business and those who report success with that objective. Execution is key.
  • Re-establishing consumer trust is the immediate issue. Seventy-two percent of executives cite “strengthening brand, trust and reputation” as the strongest motivator for taking action on sustainability issues.
  • Technology, collaboration and a deeper understanding of consumer desires are critical success factors in the coming years.
  • The investment community must more effectively factor progress toward sustainability into valuation models.
  • CEOs believe that we are moving toward an era in which businesses will no longer focus purely on profit and loss as the primary means of valuation, but rather take into account also the positive and negative impacts on society and the environment.
This study—commissioned by the UN Global Compact only once every three years—will help shape a new generation of sustainable business practices that can drive high performance.
 

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jackvanderhout

Re: A New Era of Sustainability - UN Global Compact–Accenture CEO Study 2010

Just busy with this subject. Interesting stuff! Maybe you know the Sigma project in the UK?
 
Re: A New Era of Sustainability - UN Global Compact–Accenture CEO Study 2010

Hi,

My assessment, at least in India, is that there is more of sustainability noise than of sustainability action; there has been no significant change in the CEO attitude from the 20th Century, even though there has been a lot of lip-sympathy. Quite a few CEOs use Sustainability (or Corporate Social Responsibility) jargons; go near them and explore their understanding - the less said the better. Most of them have become experts in Climate Change - there is a lot of money in Carbon credits/energy saving !!! Most of them will give you a lecture as to how their company is helping the "Earth" by reducing their carbon footprint !!! Talk to them on any other aspect of Sustainability at your own peril. My assessment is that it will take many more years before Sustainability becomes a way businesses conduct business; I am not sure if I will live that long to see the change.

The positive thing is that at least the Academics are talking about CSR/Sustainability now. We can expect some trickling effect on the Corporate Sector.

Please bear with me if I sound skeptical; but this is the true state of affairs.

With kind regards,

Ramakrishnan
 
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jackvanderhout

Re: A New Era of Sustainability - UN Global Compact–Accenture CEO Study 2010

Thank you for your contribution to this discussion.
I fully agree with your comment as far as most of the global companies behave. I really see more perspective in the near future. A huge number of initiatives have been developed during the past four or five years. GRI, the Global Reporting Initiative is no longer a small unknown organization, and you only have to look on the sites of the worldbank and several UN organizations to conclude that there is a growing awareness of the need for CSR, stands in this case for Corporate Social Responsibility. I am sure that this awareness will grow further. There will be improvements, but we will never reach the ultimate goal: paradise on earth!

Regards,

Jack van der Hout
 
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jackvanderhout

Re: A New Era of Sustainability - UN Global Compact–Accenture CEO Study 2010

Hello Sidney,

I know this ladder very well. It is an approach to make the ISO 26000 more or less certifiable. In The Netherlands a CO2-performance ladder was in use earlier. The new AA 1000 series on stakeholder management is interesting as well.

Regards,

Jack
 
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