Published December 22, 2010
by iris_author
On November 9th, I attended Bob Willard’s book launch of The Sustainability Champion’s Guidebook: How to Transform Your Company (New Society Publishers, 2009). Prior to the launch, I had never heard of this author’s work, but, Willard’s presentation couldn’t have been more relevant to my life and what I am currently learning in school. Coming from a business background and listening to the importance of sustainability was somewhat predictable. However, what truly caught my attention was the “how to” get prominent business leaders to listen to and implement changes that positively affect the environment. Bob Willard’s solution to getting business leaders (CEO’s) to listen and implement sustainable practices in their companies is to use business terminology. As simple as that may sound, it works! Think about it…business-minded individuals are primarily concerned about one thing, and one thing only, money. Thus, talking to them in terms of profit is the ideal solution. Instead of calling it “sustainability” and “corporate social responsibility,” Willard proposes calling it “asset management.” Furthermore, Willard suggests that the three components of asset management should be renamed “financial capital,” “natural capital” and “human/social capital.” His presentation on making sustainability a part of our lives truly impacted my life as a business student. To learn more about this event, please visit http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=15969
Posted in: Blogs | Students Speak
