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Chief Executive, Crescent Enterprises; Impact Entrepreneur

Good Environment for

Sustainable Business
Posted: 06/05/2014 12:22 pm EDT

Updated: 06/05/2014 12:59 pm EDT

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(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-06-05-environmentvseconomy.jpg)
Today is World Environment Day (http://www.unep.org/wed/). Celebrated in more
than 100 countries, the United Nations describes it as the "principal vehicle" for
promoting environmental action and awareness, and "the people's day for doing
something positive for the environment." Ultimately, this is a call to action for
individuals, governments and businesses alike to strengthen their efforts in defense of
our global environment.
For individuals, the incentives for protecting the environment are seemingly obvious.
These include our ability to enjoy the natural surroundings in which we live, the
availability of food and resources upon which we rely, and the ultimate goal of
leaving a better world for our children and grandchildren. While we may not always
make the most sustainable choices when choosing cars or cooling our homes, the
importance of the environment is omnipresent in each of our daily lives.
For national governments, the incentives to protect the environment are also clear,
but must be balanced with other interests. The need to balance environmental policies
with short-term economic priorities is a source of contention in many countries in
developing, as well as developed, markets worldwide. And while there will always be
differences of opinion on where that right balance lies, the political significance of the
environment to the vast majority of governments and their constituents is broadly
accepted.
For intergovernmental institutions, such as the United Nations and the G20
(https://www.g20.org/), the importance of the environment has been high on their
agenda for decades. And while the international community has sometimes been slow
to take shared and decisive action, there is a growing understanding of the negative
social, political and security impacts if the world's environmental challenges are left
unchecked.
However, when it comes to business, the incentives for sound environmental practices
can too often be obscured by other factors. For example, the pressures of competition,
the short-term perspectives of many boards and the emphasis placed on quarterly
results can push environmental concerns way down a company's list of priorities. In
fact, PwC's Global CEO Survey (http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-survey/) for 2013
found that concern over climate change had actually declined significantly among
business leaders due to being "seemingly overshadowed by more pressing short-term
economic issues".
I believe that is a shortsighted and imprudent approach. In today's increasingly
globalised economy, no business can afford to ignore the importance of sound
environmental practices, in-turn risking their corporate reputation, relations with
stakeholders and long-term commercial interests. The bottom-line is that businesses
willing to make sustainable decisions today will be more likely to reap sustainable
rewards in the future, through the technical benefits of innovation and the
commercial benefits of increased trust.

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Guess Who?

While some business owners may regard commercial and environmental factors as
mutually exclusive, or as a zero-sum game, consumers no longer see it that way.
Perhaps they never did. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer
(http://www.edelman.com/insights/intellectual-property/2014-edelman-trustbarometer/) for 2014, an annual study measuring trust in a range of institutions, 84
percent of respondents expressed a belief that businesses can pursue their self-interest
while at the same doing good for society and the environment.

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In fact the Edelman study found that since the economic crisis of 2008, the
importance of "integrity-based attributes" for generating trust has actually been on
the rise, compared with more traditional business metrics. Companies that fail to heed
this warning, and purely pursue commercial interests at the expense of sustainability,
will eventually pay for it in reduced trust in the marketplace, a weakened reputation,
and ultimately poorer overall results. Conversely, firms that can demonstrate integrity
to their stakeholders through a genuine commitment to sustainability in all its forms
will increasingly find themselves at a commercial competitive advantage.

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It is easy to think that one person, or one business, can never make a meaningful
difference, and that short-term priorities usually prevail. However that attitude is in
itself as unsustainable as the actions that it will precipitate. According to UNEP
(http://www.unep.org/), "when multiplied by a global chorus, our individual voices
and actions become exponential in their impact." On this World Environment Day,
and in the year ahead, it is in the long-term commercial interests of every business to
lend their voice to that growing tune.
Badr Jafar (http://www.badrjafar.com) is founder of the Pearl Initiative
(http://www.pearlinitiative.org/) and chief executive of Crescent Enterprises
(http://www.crescententerprises.com/)
Follow Badr Jafar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BadrJafar
(http://www.twitter.com/BadrJafar)

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Jafar, Pearl Initiative, UAE

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