Unlocking the power and possibility of The Humanverse.TM
Presented by Devry Boughner Vorwerk at Cornell
University’s Food Executive Program, Ithaca, New York
July 9, 2024
Nearly 50% of the SDG targets are moderately or severely off track and about 30% have either stagnated or “regressed below the 2015 baseline.”
We believe it’s possible for business to solve the most pressing problems facing people and the natural environment.
Businesses can swiftly scale positive change by integrating ESG and sustainability practices into their business strategy.
89% of global investors considered ESG issues as part of their investment strategy in 2022.
What
is the benefit of businesses integrating Sustainability + ESG?
ESG provides a return on investment and profitability,
✓ Facilitating top-line growth and reducing costs;
✓ Minimizing regulatory and legal interventions;
✓ Ensuring access to international markets;
✓ Increasing business and employee productivity;
✓ Optimizing investment and capital expenditures;
✓ Differentiating the company and its products and services;
✓ Growing market share vis-à-vis less sustainable competitors; and
✓ Positively impacting people and the natural environment.
What ESG/Sustainability is.
• A way of doing business
• Corporate existence: DNA of the company
• Driven by company’s Societal Purpose
• Risk management + Revenue Generation
• Ownership of both positive and negative externalities created by business
• Paying the price for social and environmental goods (e.g., price of carbon; higher labor standards)
• Future-proofing the company
• Stakeholder “compliance”
• Legal and regulatory accountability
• Moral Capitalism/Stakeholder Capitalism
• Commitment to UN SDGs
ESG/Sustainability is not.
• Solely a legal and regulatory compliance exercise
• Corporate Communications Strategy
• Social and Environmental Cause Marketing (“Greenwashing”)
• Short-term fixes to long-term problems
• Corporate philanthropy and corporate responsibility programming
