Sustainability as an emerging megatrend
As recent business trends go, among the steepest rates of adoption is the incorporation of sustainability practices in organizations. A survey of senior business executives by KPMG conducted several years ago found that 62% of the firms responding...
An example of disruptive technology: a product that radically reduces resource use
This technological innovation is an example of using a mindset for the radical reduction of resource use. Radical reductions in resource use (water and energy in particular) are what is needed if we are to sustain any semblance of the lifestyle tho...
CSR prompts Corporate Social Irresponsibility?
Have you earned enough moral credits to engage in some less upright behavior? It seems that, for a number of firms and their employees, acting as a good corporate citizen earns you points, somewhat akin to monetary currency, to "sin". At least, ...
Getting real about climate change
As media outlets continue to report about climate change scientific findings, which get ever more urgent and bleak, and with the 2012 United National Climate Talks in Doha coming to a close, it's a challenge (for me, at least) not to be haunted by th...
Hurricane Sandy as climate change action catalyst
My colleague, Joseph Sarkis, wrote a blog about the buzz around policy in light of Hurricane Sandy. He pointed out that much of this buzz centered on how the extreme weather event might impact the presidential election and wondered about the potent...
Commerce as a system
Here is the first page of Chapter 4 from (the current draft of) the manuscript for my upcoming book, Applying Systems Thinking to Business Practices for Sustainability. I'd love your feedback (and I'll take suggestions for revising the title, too!!)...
What drives sustainability: People or Markets?
What is your view of human nature, behavior, and potential? What are your thoughts on the likelihood of our capacity to slow our progress down the many steep slopes upon which we are sliding: climate change, soil depletion, fresh water scarcity, oc...
Consulting and Coaching
New Leaf Systems is a consulting, coaching, and research firm dedicated to assisting leaders interested in innovating toward the new business model: balancing environmental and social sustainability with economic vigor....