Sustainability Trends for 2014Thomas Eggert, Esq.

WI School of Business andWI Sustainable Business Council

Sustainability is inevitable.

Here’s 14 trends to watch in 2014 that are driving global

sustainability:

Dramatic Weather Events Make an Impression:

Heat waves, fires, storms, and floods are on the rise across the planet. Every time another “natural” disaster strikes, it makes people painfully aware of the connection between our impact on the environment, and its impact on us.

Billion Dollar Storm Events are on the Rise

A single billion-dollar storm event per year in the 1980s,

two per year in the 1990s,

five per year in the oughts,

10 in 2011,

14 in 2012,

and now the Philippines super storm with landfall winds 50% more intense than

Katrina's.

Food Crises Threaten Global Security:

Over a billion people go hungry every day, and as the climate changes, food security is being threatened worldwide. Prices of food crops such as wheat and maize are now close to those that sparked riots in 25 countries in 2008. Worldwide, food prices rose 1.4% in September 2012, following an increase of 6% in July.

Impending Water Wars:

We are mining groundwater, redirecting rivers, and polluting the oceans with oil spills, agricultural runoff and mountains of plastic trash. Wells are running dry and air pollution is increasing ocean acidity, threatening the entire marine food chain. Droughts and desertification threaten crops on land. Leading business organizations and military agencies now recognize that water is as important as oil – and today’s shortages will be tomorrow’s wars.

Fossil Fuels are Running Out:

The International Energy Agency finally admitted in 2011 that we have passed Peak Oil. They also recognize that removing subsidies for fossil fuels could improve the economy and reduce emissions at the same time. In February, 2013, China announced that they will implement a carbon tax, making the US the largest emitter with no plan on how to limit CO2 emissions.

Massive Economic Distortions in Fossil Fuels

The subsidies to the coal industry exceed the market cap of the industry.

The subsidies to the oil industry are three times greater than the profits of the oil industry.

Taxpayers are looking hard at transfer payments to an industry in trouble.

The Shift to a Renewable Economy is Occurring

Faster Than Many Expected

The cost of generating electricity from solar energy is at grid parity right now, and investment in renewables exceeded investment in fossil and nuclear energy combined for the last two years.

The Impact on Companies

Companies are not only realizing substantial cost savings from eco-efficiency – $450 million over 10 years for Interface Flor, $395 million in two years for Unilever— but also substantial top line revenue gains from sustainability focused product innovation – half a billion or so for Levis, $130 billion for General Electric.

Sustainable companies are winning the talent wars:

Unilever ranks 3rd in LinkedIn’s list of in-demand employers.

LinkedIn’s top 8 most in demand companies (in order): Google, Apple, Unilever, P&G, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, PepsiCo. Unilever is the anomaly here — for a company not nearly as well known as the others, it came in just behind two of the hottest, most valuable companies in the world, and ahead of much better known brands like Disney, Nike, and Coca-Cola. Executives at Unilever credit their ranking to the company’s known leadership on sustainability.

Rising Political Power of “Developing Nations”:

Rising giants like BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) – along with hundreds of smaller nations – argue that they are entitled to develop as they choose. International discussion around sustainability is focusing on reversing decades of wealth transfer from southern to northern economies.

Rising Power of Women

Women are more likely to seek higher educational opportunities, to save money for their children’s future, and are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs. These trends are global, extending from urban centers in the United States to villages in emerging economies. The face of sustainability is largely female.

The Obama White House is Committed to Being a

“Player”: In the 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama talked about generating 80% of electricity from domestic sources by 2035, providing high-speed train service to 80 percent of Americans by 2035,

and putting one million electric cars on the road by 2015. In the 2013 State of the Union, he talked about climate change.

Employees emerge as a key stakeholder group

Corporate sustainability is less about the size of the staff and more about how people across the company are embedding sustainability throughout their work. A trend has begun to make sustainability a part of performance evaluations in an attempt to drive sustainability into an organization.

Faith Traditions Support Stewardship:

Faith traditions of all denominations are increasingly supporting a message of creation care and stewardship. A whole host of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Evangelical organizations agree that unsustainable behavior will hit the world’s poor the hardest, and that we have a moral duty to respond. As the human cost of environmental damage grows, international outcry from religious organizations will continue to drive political change.

Younger Generations Demand Action:

The number of millennials is greater than the Baby Boomers

They are motivated by things other than money.

Organizations like 350.org are tapping this power to create an international movement directly targeting political leaders. Their numbers are sure to grow as the impacts of unsustainable behavior hit home.

Change Trickles Up, Not Down:

Politicians are much better followers than leaders. The real action on sustainability is happening in cities, companies, and communities around the world. Mayors from over 135 major cities from Paris to Buenos Aires signed an accord to report and reduce their emissions. And California – the world’s 8th largest economy –implemented the nation’s largest cap-and-trade plan. National and international markets, commitments, and investments are only a matter of time.

Supply Chain Pressure Continues to Increase

WalMart will eliminate 20 million metric tons of CO2 – from its supply chain.

MillerCoors saves more water by working with barley growers than they can by changing the brewing process.

P&G develops a supplier scorecard.

Entire Industries are Being Turned on Their Heads

AirB&B put as many beds under management in seven years as the leading hotel chains did in 70 years.

ZipCar claims a 10x improvement in capital efficiency – and challenges the notion of auto ownership.

The Challenge to Live More Sustainability Represents

–An economic opportunity to invest in technologies of the future.

–A political opportunity to form new international commitments that will strengthen all nations.

-A moral opportunity to help those in need and improve our current systems.

New Observations that are Not Yet Trends

We are engaged in a slow-motion debate on the surveillance state

The surveillance itself is old news. But it feels as though the broader social debate is barely getting started, here in 2014. That’s what’s shocking.

New Observations that are Not Yet Trends

The unexpectedly sudden shift in who has fuel (a carrier of energy) for export is a truly shocking development. Countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela may be staring at a future where they have much less geopolitical leverage. The U.S. has become a major producer of fuel with the development of new natural gas fields.

New Observations that are Not Yet Trends

The frequency of international news stories about group rapes or public molestation events in various countries is starting to compete with bus crashes and train wrecks. Newspapers specialize in shocking stories. And yet I only started noticing such news stories with regularity during the last year.

New Observations that are Not Yet Trends

To be a change agent, one must have credibility. To get credibility, one must be noticed on social media like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. In order to get noticed, one must develop a personal brand. That constant “notice-me” branding is becoming the modern world’s social currency.

Tools for Businesses Interested in Sustainability

The WI DNR’s Green Tier program is a recognition/support program for companies interested in superior environmental performance.

The WI Sustainable Business Council’s Green Masters program is a reward/recognition program for companies starting down the road toward sustainability.

Tools for Businesses Interested in Sustainability

–The Profitable Sustainability Initiative is a technical assistance program for companies interested in sustainability.

- Cool Choices is an employee engagement program for institutions interested in engaging their workforce in sustainability.

THE WI DNR’s Green Tier Program

Green Tier encourages companies to think creatively about ways they can improve environmental performance while increasing productivity, lowering costs, and growing as a business. The program seeks to recognize, support and reward “leadership” companies by providing a logo that can be used for marketing purposes, providing a liaison between the DNR and the business, and identifying Green Tier companies on the DNR website and in promotional materials about the program. http://greentier.wi.gov.

The Green Masters Program

The Green Masters program is an objective, points based recognition program that will allow businesses of any size and from any sector to understand what needs to be done to justifiably claim that they are “on the road to sustainability.” http://www.greenmastersprogram.com

Profitable Sustainability Initiative

The Profitable Sustainability Initiative provides Wisconsin’s small businesses practical steps that help improve top-line revenue and bottom-line efficiencies through sustainable business practices.  Business leaders who are ready to roll up their sleeves, move beyond the theory and get their companies started will receive support to implement sustainability practices.http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Sectors/PSI.html

Cool Choices

Cool Choices works with businesses to implement innovative and engaging game-based intiatives that make environmental sustainability fun, social and easy…so that sustainability becomes the new normal.They combine information with strategies that make change easier and more appealing. http://www.coolchoicesnetwork.org/

Business and the Future

Business, the motor of our society, has the opportunity to be the new creative force on the planet. The modern corporation is as adaptable an organizational form as has ever been invented, so that in a time of fundamental change it may be expected to be on the cutting edge.”

--Stanford’s Willis Harman

Conclusion

Businesses that understand and position themselves for the future will be winners.

There are many tools and programs to help businesses get started on their own journey toward sustainability.