Sustainability Stories

The COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of collapse due to climate change and the erosion of biodiversity point to the aberrations of a development model that is based on the unlimited exploitation of natural resources and other living beings. More than ever, it appears necessary to reorient the economy in order to put it at the service of people and the preservation of the common world.

“What’s the point? We’re screwed.” This was a statement made by one of my brightest 15-year-old students at the end of a classwide discussion on the impacts of climate change in the spring of 2008. While hearing apathetic comments from teenage boys is nothing new, this particular statement was different. No sooner had the words left his mouth, the bell sounded, and the 29 learners quietly dispersed. The tension in the air was palpable. His statement seemed to have touched a collective nerve, and it lingered with me for the rest of the day.

Imagine that you are the director of a film about sustainability. If education were a character, what role would it play? Surely it would have a leading role, don’t you think? And what about the title “The Future Will Be Sustainable or It Won’t Be” for that film?

Throughout history, philosophers and scientists have come up with life-saving solutions to socio-environmental problems. We can prevent polio and smallpox, we have antibiotics, and we rely on technology to clean water. However, equally often, possible solutions are not timely or broadly implemented. Physicians know how to cure and prevent tuberculosis, but it is still the deadliest infectious disease in the world (Foster, 2020). Climate and food scientists expect that a more plant-based food production system and diet would drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Hayek et al., 2020), land use (Stehfest et al., 2009), and diseases (American Dietetic Association, and Dietitians of Canada, 2009), but every year, only approximately 1% of the population in the Netherlands decides to become vegetarian (de Waart, 2020). While epidemiologists and microbiologists have developed models and vaccines to stop a pandemic, the fight against COVID-19 has been hampered by vaccination skepticism. Why is implementing a possible solution to our problems so hard? How can we improve this situation?

Amid the widespread conversation about the climate crisis and the growing awareness of its pressing nature, books such as the one you hold take on vital significance for both individuals and organizations. They serve as invaluable resources, aiding us in the crucial task of pinpointing practical solutions. However, the question remains: how and where do we start addressing the biggest change of all time? How do we turn cognitive awareness into action? Moreover, how can we instill the urge for sustainable transformation into the minds, and then the veins, of some of the main actors—the CEOs and entrepreneurs?

I worked for “Collectif Génération Responsable” (Responsible Generation Collective, later referred to as Collectif) from 2018 to 2020. The Collectif is a nonprofit association that has been contributing to the development of concrete policies and actions in the business field for over 15 years, both in the societal and environmental aspects, through the implementation of continuous improvement processes. The members of this club are CSR managers from the retail sector who convene monthly with a shared commitment to enter a labeling process and to make progress in a systematic way. During these gatherings, they actively share best practices, engage in discussions with solution experts, facilitate workshops, find solutions, and foster valuable networking connections.

In an ideal world, social impact would be the raison d’être of every business, the driving force behind innovation, and the main vector for employee engagement, to the point where the topic of corporate social responsibility (CSR) would fall into disuse. What if this is not the case in your company? Here are a few tips to make it happen.

To avoid the catastrophic, cascading risks of crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation, as well as global pandemics, inequality, and mass migration, it is paramount to fundamentally change most of the systems that we rely on today. Anything from our food, housing, and transport systems to our health, education, financial, and legal systems will sooner rather than later have to undergo unprecedented transformation to avoid societal and ecological collapse. Foundational to this superscale transformation is not only policy and regulatory innovation but also the courage and contribution of each and every one of us, including the institutions and businesses that we work for and buy from. This chapter explores how we can help to build a holistically regenerative economy through business model innovation with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

On my path of personal discovery, each step taken has been guided by intuition, work, and creativity.

In 1994, I worked for a start-up that is now a famous IT consultancy. As I have a tendency to look for the human being behind the “nerd,” this company’s management philosophy resonated with me as the CEO was into what one would now call Organizational Wellbeing of the employees. Their business model was likewise unusual, something that would these days be called “corporate social responsibility,” or CSR. After some years, as that term became widely known, I decided to gain more insight into the subject, and I began academic research in CSR at Radboud University in the Netherlands. I realized then that very few studies explored the human aspect of CSR; most behaved as if institutions were making decisions, instead of the people within them. That is why I embarked upon my own research into what essentially drives leaders who have made a commitment to CSR. What began as a sideline soon took on a life of its own, leading to the 51 in-depth interviews that form the basis for this chapter. During this research, it emerged how important self-care is for those who take CSR seriously. All this, along with my own life’s path, explains why I have specialized in self-care coaching for CSR leaders.

This is a wake-up call for sustainability professionals. In my view, we need to combine the pure business case for sustainability with an urgency for change that is connected to personal values and a broader societal perspective. Sustainability regulation does not equal a new tax regulation: Yes, they both are bureaucracy monsters, yet the former is part of a much more complex and challenging race for a future of the planet and a world we all want to live in. This is why sustainability consulting differs from other fields of business consulting. Sustainability professionals that want to stand for change should use a language that is drastic enough to trigger emotional reactions in the minds of decision-makers that lead to cognitive change and eventually to change in business models.

In the past, companies engaged in mere philanthropy, addressing the needs of a variety of communities via the projects they had selected. Today, in addition to their philanthropic initiatives, these same companies undertake activities that address the concerns of their key stakeholders. In fact, an increasing number of stakeholders, including shareholders, consumers, employees, suppliers, governments, NGOs, and investors, among others, are becoming more concerned about companies’ activities and their environmental and social impact. As a result, an increasing number of businesses are feeling compelled to enhance cooperation with their stakeholders. To succeed, their initial steps should involve developing a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and a sustainability policy, with the ultimate goal being the creation of shared value solutions.

This story centers around partnerships that have a transformative impact on society, referred to as “synergies for hope.” Within this story, two colleagues, Peter from Kenya and Janine from Germany, share the origins of their collaboration and the valuable lessons learned from the partnerships of their respective universities.

This is the Ring Verse, a poetic description of the Rings of Power, and a recurring motif within J.R.R. Tolkien’s acclaimed fantasy series initially published in 1954 under the title “The Lord of the Rings.” It consists of three novels: “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers,” and “The Return of the King.”

Year 2021. It was the peak of the coronavirus disease second wave. Horror stories were pouring in from all directions. A genuine sense of helplessness engulfed the world. People were hoarding hospitals and medical stores for oxygen cylinders. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has crossed over 177,358,938 cases worldwide and has claimed over 3,905,161 lives. India, having the second largest population in the world, was reeling from the pressure of patients and a collapse of the medical system with doctors succumbing to the disease or just extremely tired, having fought consistently for over one and half years by then. Most importantly, people were petrified of this unknown catastrophe. India, by then, had 29,823,546 COVID-19 victims and over 385,137 who had already succumbed to the disease. There was not one family that had not lost a near or dear one in this devastation.

Climate change and the emission of greenhouse gases continue to be critical issues facing society. Strategies and actions to reduce carbon footprints remain important, and companies are still responding to this issue in various ways. In some markets, carbon neutrality is seen as an important indicator for consumers wishing to choose greener products and services. Carbon neutral means a condition in which, during a specified period, there has been no net increase in the global emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere as a result of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the organization during the same period.

The year 2023 is poised to be the warmest year on record, and that might be just the beginning of a series of record-breaking temperatures. From deadly heatwaves to waterfloods, countries in different parts of the planet are witnessing the impacts of climate change, and it is likely these events will become more of a regular occurrence (The Guardian, 2023). Against the catastrophic scenarios projected for the planet, scientists, activists, and international agencies have been pressuring governments to reduce carbon emissions. In 2019 alone, human activities released 43 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere (Hausfather, 2019), including 1.76 billion tons of CO2 produced by wildfires, which is equivalent to more than double the annual CO2 emissions of Germany (World Economic Forum, 2021).

They call me Island Girl.

This story explores the paradoxical relationship between tourism and local development, focusing on the region of Tahanaout, a village located amidst the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Through a narrative lens, the author reflects on personal experiences growing up in Tahanaout and later engaging in the sustainable tourism sector. The narrative is mingled with insights from academic studies, highlighting the transformative potential of tourism in enhancing economic opportunities and fostering environmental awareness. The author’s involvement in the Terres d’AMANAR project serves as a case study, illustrating the complex dynamics of integrating tourism with environmental conservation and community development. By engaging with this inspirational story, readers are exposed to innovative strategies and diverse perspectives for utilizing tourism as a driving force for positive societal and environmental changes within local communities.

Zimbabwe is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. On its northern border with Zambia, the Zambezi River thunders over Victoria Falls, the world’s widest continuous waterfall. The noise of Victoria Falls can be heard from a distance of 40 km, while the spray and mist from the falling water rise to a height of over 400 m, visible from a distance of 50 km. It is no wonder that the local tribes used to call the waterfall Mosi-o-Tunya “The smoke that thunders.” Aside from the majestic Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe is home to many national parks, such as Hwange National Park. It contains some of the densest remaining wildlife concentrations on the African continent, has an area of more than 12,000 km2, and stretches from the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls railway line westward to the Botswana border.

I love stories. I could listen to the stories people tell me for hours and paint according pictures in my head. It is an honor for me when people open up to share their experiences, their emotions, share the beautiful and the dark sides of their lives. Over the centuries, humanity has built up a wealth of knowledge by telling stories that are not only beautiful, vast, and essential to our survival but also regionally and locally specific. While our ancestors could largely rely on traditional knowledge and were therefore conscious of when the rainy season would start, when it was time to move on, or when the water holes would be filled, this, unfortunately, is no longer the case today. Anthropogenic climate change has implications for both nature and humanity. The extent to which people are affected is determined not only by where they live, but also by their gender and the roles in which they find themselves. In this chapter, we look at the links between climate change and gender, and propose solutions ranging from gender justice and feminism to new leadership.

Lawyers, particularly those working at a leading corporate law firm, have traditionally been white males from exclusive schools. While these demographics might have been a reflection of the business world, they are not a reflection of society as a whole. Lawfirms are now working hard to attract and retain diverse talent. This article looks at initiatives taken at Freshfields and the lessons we have learned so far.

This sustainability story is about women living at the margins in the global south. Poverty and gender inequality affect women disproportionately and far more negatively than men because of women’s relatively lower education levels, lack of access to financial capital, perceived lower status, and being deprived of basic freedoms because of restrictive social institutions, such as gender norms. Gender norms are embedded in values, beliefs, and specific social and cultural settings and tend to place structured disadvantages on women’s access to diverse opportunities, including economic, health, and justice. Women in India face economic and structural barriers to participating not only outside the household, but also within the household. Taking an interdisciplinary, lens the questions I ask in this sustainability story are: what does it take for women living in rural India to develop their entrepreneurial capacity to escape poverty? What is the role of social structures such as microcredit groups and intermediary or social service organizations [nongovernmental organizations] in facilitating this? What is the effect of women’s participation in the social structure of the microcredit groups and the development of their entrepreneurial capacity on traditional gender norms of women and men in rural India?

The Label Créole project aims to promote fine handicrafts from two islands, Haiti and Zanzibar, and to support social entrepreneurship there. The project was born out of an enormous love for the creativity and fine art of living in both Haiti (the Caribbean) and Zanzibar (Tanzania, Africa). It is also the result of a long reflection on the crucial role of social entrepreneurship for development that would be truly sustainable and, perhaps most importantly, dignified.

Lunch in a downtown business club, Hamburg, Germany, late summer 2012. Three CEOs talking, exuding kind of an air of WASPish heritage in their easy-going manner, me, a guest, mostly listening.

The author is a ‘serial entrepreneur’ in the temp agency industry. From the start of her career in this industry she witnessed the societal inequalities firsthand and recognized the potential for positive impact through meaningful employment. This led to the creation of Plus Uitzendkrachten, pioneering in involvement and personalized career guidance for temporary workers. Their approach, emphasizing competence, motivation, and sustainable employment relationships, challenged industry norms and garnered recognition. The later evolution to WaW reflects an idealistic business model with employee cooperative governance, emphasizing fairness and inclusivity. The author’s reflections underscore the importance of kindness, personal values, and the role of entrepreneurship in creating meaningful societal impact. They advocate for sustainable entrepreneurship and hope to inspire others to pursue idealistic ventures for the betterment of society.

“Compliance, what’s that?” This short, eye-opening conversation between a CEO and his Chief Compliance Officer will explain, in a nutshell, what corporate Compliance means.

Boards need to be well-equipped to ensure that their organizations have a governance structure in place that can be adapted to the new digital playing field. They need to adapt the organizations’ internal controls to the new environment. The digital economy has created a paradigm shift that is triggering a change in how organizations govern. As the physical and virtual worlds converge into the metaverse, the value of information and intangible assets is on the rise. As I write this story, it is becoming increasingly apparent that there is an immediate urgency for organizations to think about how they can navigate the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI).

How can one, as an individual, influence the global policy process addressing climate change? Isn’t one powerless given the enormous resources controlled by fossil fuel interests? Will policymakers not always address short-term issues while shirking the long-term ones? Does a consensus-based process at all make sense when there are so many open and hidden conflicts regarding how to address the global public good of climate change mitigation?

The 2016 Presidential Election was my first real introduction to American politics. While I studied American political parties in school, most notably Democrats’ value of social responsibility and Republicans’ belief in individual rights and freedom, I realized I was hardly taught about campaigns. 2016 taught me the power of voter engagement and that political parties weren’t so rigid as textbooks made them out to be. As I volunteered for Presidential nomination Democrat Hillary Clinton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I learned that voters have beliefs on both sides of the aisle. At the end of the day, voters worry less about political labels and just want to be heard and feel like someone in government will listen. Despite the outcome of the Presidential election, I learned the importance of the phrase “every voice counts!” On the campaign trail, Secretary Clinton spoke to the voices who were shut out of positions of power in politics for too long. To me, she practiced public engagement in the truest sense of the word: listen to the voters. They are true stakeholders. This should be common knowledge, right? Every single person who can vote is a political stakeholder. If you pay taxes, you should be able to vote. If you vote, you are the boss of your elected official. Unfortunately, this idea is not practiced in current politics. In fact, it scares politicians. This is one of the reasons current government structures are not sustainable.

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded in the US Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, killing 11 people and spewing more than 130 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The impact on surrounding ecosystems and the lives of those affected is still being felt today. It has been described as the worst environmental disaster in US history. Beyond this human and ecological disaster is a financial calamity that changed the lives of ordinary people across the world. BP’s stock market valuation fell by 55%, or US$100 billion, in the 2 months after the explosion, jeopardizing the savings of thousands who had bet their pensions on BP, which until then had been seen as a jewel of industry, a safe bet.

Sustainability reports do not report on sustainability! The issue at hand arises from insufficient depth in the measurements (pertaining to what is measured and where), shallow reporting requirements (relating to why these measurements are taken), and the inherent challenges of accurately measuring real or tangible sustainability impact (in terms of how it is measured). If we want true accountability, the eradication of greenwashing scandals, and the capacity to make informed sustainability-driven investment and management decisions that maximize impact, we need to change this soon.

Our arrival in this Caribbean space is the result of the deportation of thousands of captured human beings, survivors of the Middle Passage, and resisters who reinvented themselves.

In the complex world of the sustainability transformation, quantified numbers and novel technologies don't always tell the whole story. Only with the help of the arts and creative practices can we understand the full dynamic of the unfolding climate crisis. This chapter tells the story of how an encounter with artist David Horvitz and his honey-locust trees led the author to rethink his own practice. It exemplifies how art manages to connect the human and non-human elements of ecosystems, fostering a deeper, collective understanding of our role within them. Through the lens of art, we gain the ability to approach the emergent qualities of the climate crisis, a task rarely achieved by traditional quantitative approaches. The resulting planetary perspectives thus allow us to see new answers and opportunities, eventually helping us to collectively make sense of how to successfully approach the sustainability transformation, the defining wicked problem of our time.

On Saturday, April 26, 1986, the explosion of Reactor Number 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) changed the northern Ukraine landscape for centuries to come. A series of errors made during a routine test and the faulty design of Soviet RBMK reactors led to an explosion followed by a fire, releasing large amounts of radiation, thereby contaminating the soil, water, and atmosphere with radioactive material equivalent to 20 times that of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Radioactive salts of iodine, strontium, and cesium were projected into the atmosphere, leading to the contamination of 150,000 square kilometers in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, with clouds carrying radioactive isotopes across Europe and reaching locations as remote as 500 kilometers from ground zero. Thirty kilometers of barbed wire fencing were quickly erected, creating the “Exclusion Zone” around the damaged power plant; 350,000 people were eventually evacuated.

This chapter tells a story of The Colour Fools, an international music band that started in Barcelona just before the Covid pandemic. Through this project I wanted to combine my passions for sustainability and music while trying to find a new voice to tell the stories that reflect on our relations with each other, nature and the universe. The story highlight the power of collaboration, patience, and the arts in fostering a deeper connection to sustainability issues, despite the challenges posed by the consumerist society and the digital age’s distractions.

This story traces a life full of discoveries and experiences revolving around ecology.

How long has a connection between art and the environment existed? When considering this, it is essential to differentiate “environment” and “nature” as the former includes the notion of protecting nature, a concept that emerged in the nineteenth century. In my opinion, this enduring relationship truly became a prominent part of the history of art in the early 2000s. During that period, contemporary art, with its contextual and conceptual dimensions, was increasingly influenced by the pressing concerns of global warming, which had become particularly alarming and subject of intense media attention.

Krik? Krak! Yékrik? Yékrak! Mistikrik? Mistikrak! Is the Court asleep? No, the Court is not asleep! So, ladies and gentlemen, if the Court is not asleep, let your soul be instructed by a story!