It is happening more and more. CEOs and strategic leaders in
companies are becoming more and more committed to sustainability as a
business strategy. After years of 'banging our heads against the wall'
suddenly our advice and counsel is in demand - high demand. And that
brings a whole host of other questions to the fore. Suppose that you are the chief sustainability officer (and wouldn't
that be a coveted title?) for a major company. You know that the CEO
is committed to being a socially responsible player. A quick search of
the internet reveals many companies (including but not limited to)
How do we make the world work for 100 percent of humanity in the
shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without
ecological damage or disadvantage to anyone? This is a question
Buckminster Fuller posed to the world in 1983. And it's a question
that has not yet been answered nearly 30 years later. The solution I
present is one of partnership, collaboration and open architecture. We
are only going to approach our end goal if we all work together;
meaning, the competitive nature of sustainability does not always
serve the greater good. We need thought leaders who are willing to
It's not secret that companies are coming under increasing pressure
from governments, advocacy groups, investors, prospective employees,
and consumers to make their operations, products and services more
socially responsible, particularly regarding the environment but also
on a range of issues from labor practices to financial transparency to
product safety. In addition, constraints and costs of energy and water usage are
rising at an accelerating rate, which can have significant impact on a
I was at a pretty cool conference last week - Wavelength 100. The
attendees were half corporate, half social enterprise/entrepreneur.
Lots of great chat, good organic food, and interesting ideas to pursue
successful partnerships between the two groups. One topic under discussion was that the terms 'social enterprise' and
'social entrepreneur' don't necessarily do the movement any favors.
These words are unknown, confusing, and don't seem to fully represent
who we are and what we do. Personally I find it easier to just explain
Oxford Hub (OxHub) is the focal point for charitable activity at Oxford University. Through events, a website and office, we can connect you with a cause to help tackle the social and environmental challenges of today.
