Strategic Sustainability – Spheres of Influence
In Strategic Sustainability Part 2 we went beyond the definition of Sustainability offered by the 1987 Brundtland Report, “Our Common Future“, and identified the three pillars of Sustainability: Economic, Social and Environmental.
These three pillars come together and form the driving force behind Strategic Sustainability. The most familiar analogy describing these three pillars and their relationship to Sustainability is the comparison to a three-legged stool. The idea here is that if one of the legs is shorter than the other two the stool will tip over – at least be very unsteady. The problem with this is that the “weight” assigned to the three pillars required to reach true sustainability is rarely equally divided at 33.333% for each.
Each situation presents a unique set of challenges related to Sustainability and unique solutions are required on a case by case basis. I prefer to identify the three pillars as “spheres of influence” and while these spheres may not be uniform in size it is where they come together that true sustainability lives. For example, the ownership and operation of both a Golf Course in Canada and a Gold Mine in Africa require Strategic Sustainability, however; no matter how you build those stools you are going land on your butt.
Economics and the Environment have historically dominated Sustainability dialogue. Increasingly, however, contemporary discourse on Sustainability includes “Corporate Social Responsibility” or CSR. The business community is also more aware now than ever in history of the role of Cultural and Indigenous influences in strong, sustainable, businesses. That being said, the single largest barrier to engagement of the business community in Strategy Sustainability is the perceived friction between the Social and Environmental influences and the Economics required for employment, management, capital costs and profits.
All the Best in 2013! Jason Gordon ad Family.
Filed under: General Tagged: Brundtland Report, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate social responsibility, Environment, Our Common Future, Science of Muddling Through, Strategic Sustainability, Sustainability, Sustainable Development 
