How can economic growth be made sustainable?
Focus should be shifted from “growth” to “progress” – i.e. the ability to make the same things with less effort (equivalently more/better things with the same amount of effort), as opposed to simply making more stuff. Oh, and since there is a maximum level of complexity any single human brain can deal with, centralising decision-making in the hands of a small number of people will lead to decisions that are much more simplified than the world requires (throwing away long-term effects is usually a great way to simplify). The diseconomies to (centralised, as opposed to networked) scale are grossly under-appreciated.
Throughout the great recession of 2007 – 2010, there has been a dislocation of trust between companies and the global communities they serve. Emerging from the recession – any company wanting to repair such dislocation has used sustainability as the model to achieve best results. Whether it is customers, companies want to engage, or investors through the reduction of risk, or employees to improve team cohesion, drive innovation and attract best talent from the ascendant eco-boomers; sustainability connects all the interdependent functional areas in a more holistic manner, driving down costs – delivering on-going value through the introduction of a continious cycle of improvement. Companies that show a lack of understanding as to the business model and value opportunities of sustainability run the high risk of stunted growth and make the course of any economic up-turn more treacherous. Supply chains are being transformed through sustainable procurement practices. Advances in distributio
