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Moving from rhetoric to reality... by making sustainability connections
"There is a lot of talk about sustainable development in boardrooms, universities, conferences and even in our homes. The challenge is to move from this rhetoric to making sustainability a reality. YMT 2004 sought to show how this can be and is being done."
Matthew Janssen (Skanska) |
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Sustainability principles may be advancing in boardrooms across the world, but progress is slow. Despite a growing awareness of the impact the global population is having on finite resources, global warming and health pandemics, a profound shift is needed to move toward sustainable business practices. - Too often companies develop sustainable projects in isolation
- Too often sustainable development is seen as the enemy of profits
- Too often there is ignorance of the seriousness of the environmental and social crises facing our world.
To overcome these hurdles, the third year of the WBCSD's Young Managers Program (YMT) decided to make sustainability connections. Finding the right words  Twenty-eight young managers from WBCSD companies worked together for one year to create and stimulate the connections required to spread sustainable development awareness implementation.
The self-managed group split into three workstreams, one focusing on China, one on Brazil and one on financial analysts. The aim was to harness existing forces for sustainability rather than replace them, to build bridges connecting companies and individuals working toward similar goals, and to share learning. What are sustainability connections?
As the business sector continues along the path of globalization, the skills and experience required for handling local operations in diverse geographical regions and cultures is becoming increasingly important. Striking a balance between globally consistent standards with local values requires understanding and sensitivity The capacity for communicating effectively across different cultures, languages and ranks is a key factor for success. Making connections and maintaining them is a critical skill in today’s business world. |
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Chinese learning module for businesses in China With China, the world's fastest growing major economy with significant environmental impacts, the challenge was to spread the word to a business sector unfamiliar with sustainability thinking and focused on growth.  The answer this workstream found was to create China-specific advocacy materials for universities, business schools and other fora. The main messages are why sustainability should matter to the business world in China and what individual managers can do specifically in the Chinese context. More information...
YMT forges sustainability connections between businesses working in the Brazil forest In Brazil, a country struggling to match the aspirations of its growing population with protecting its natural resources and ecosystems, the task was to encourage the use of rainforest biodiversity to both make profits and provide sustainable livelihoods. The response was to create connections between local actors working on comparable projects and share experiences in Brazil and beyond. More information... Language the market understands For the financial analysts workstream, the problem was to understand the relationship between financial markets and long-term value from intangibles. The team responded by surveying young financial analysts. Their responses revealed disappointingly low levels of interest and knowledge about sustainability. However, through further consultation, the YMT took the first step to engage the industry and changing mindsets.. More information... Diverse, flexible and networked "The YMT was an extraordinary experience for us as individuals. The human aspect is very rich, working with people from such different backgrounds, and learning how to do it is a hard but also very valuable experience."
Antoine Bois (Michelin) |
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The strength of YMT 2004 is the diversity of its members' skills and backgrounds. These young managers have few cultural and social constraints and are part of the most networked generation ever.They come from 18 countries and work in different business roles in companies across a wide range of manufacturing and service industries. This makes a perfect platform for understanding and tackling sustainability issues and making connections in differing cultures and companies.
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