Articles

Forget about the business case for sustainability

Jul 2021 | The climate crisis requires us to challenge our taken-for-granted assumptions, including the need to make the business case for sustainability. In this article, I explain why we should start asking instead: What’s the sustainability case of business? This is part of a series of articles highlighting issues I discuss in my upcoming book “Rethinking Corporate Sustainability in the Era of Climate Crisis — A Strategic Design Approach” (July 2021).

The battle of narratives: Five new sustainability narratives for business

Apr 2021 | This is the second in a series of articles I publish in preparation for the release of my upcoming book “Rethinking Corporate Sustainability in the Era of Climate Crisis — A Strategic Design Approach”. This time I focus on the narratives we need to have in place to move companies away from sustainability-as-usual.

THE END OF SUSTAINABILITY-AS-USUAL IS IN SIGHT

Mar 2021 | I’m starting today a series of articles in preparation for the release of my upcoming book “Rethinking Corporate Sustainability in the Era of Climate Crisis — A Strategic Design Approach” (Palgrave MacMillan, Summer 2021). The first piece is about the signs we can already see of the (hopefully near) end of sustainability-as-usual. (Medium, March 2021)

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Are companies taking climate change seriously? A new tool helps you figure it out

Nov 2020 | We see a flood of corporate climate change plans and commitments, but are companies go far enough, or is it just a mirage of corporate responsibility? Right now it is impossible to tell, but a new framework, which evaluates climate change plans with just five multiple-choice questions, is here to help.

Are corporations fighting climate change the wrong way?

Sep 2020 | We will reach soon the milestone of 1,000 companies committing to a science-based target to cut their emissions in line with a 1.5C future, but is this strategy effective? I suggest that there is one critical piece missing from this strategy that needs to be addressed or else we lose the war on climate change.

It’s Decision time: Reimagine or Kill the Circular Economy

Aug 2020 | These are not regular times. The multiple crises we face require us to challenge almost every assumption, idea, and practice we have. The circular economy is no different. Can a non-inclusive, growth-based strategy be a viable sustainability strategy for business in 2020?

Can Companies Move Beyond “Sustainability-as-Usual” in their Response to the Protests?

Jun 2020 | The corporate response to the George Floyd protests indicates that with all the progress made on corporate social responsibility, companies didn’t move too far from business as usual. In this piece, I explain what’s wrong with this “sustainability-as-usual” approach, and what companies can do to go beyond it.

Could Reducing Air Travel Be A Prompt To Fight Climate Change?

May 2020 | This is the story of Flight Zero, an experiment with a new recipe for change that works to effectively connect the dots between individual lifestyle changes and collective action to fight the climate crisis

Corona Redesign — A Pre-Manifesto

Apr 2020 | The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is challenging many of the assumptions we have about almost everything, including the role and value of design. We listen to doctors, health experts, politicians, economists and businesspeople, but not (yet?) to designers. We share thoughts and questions on what this moment may mean for designers and their role in and beyond the coronavirus crisis.

Connecting The Dots: 12 Perspectives On Coronavirus Lessons For Climate Change

Mar 2020 | While we live in an era that will most likely be shaped by the climate crisis, right now the focus is on coronavirus, which has turned the world into a very different place in a very short time. However, climate change is not sitting down and waiting patiently until we’re done dealing with the coronavirus.

“The Wire” Guide For The 2020 Climate Warrior

Dec 2019 | 2020 is a critical year for the fight on climate change. To act effectively on this messy problem we’ll have to do some things differently as right now we’re losing this war. But what exactly? I decided to watch “The Wire”, hoping this excellent TV show will provide me with inspiration and some ideas on how to win this fight.

Who Gives a F*ck About The United Nations’ New Climate Report?

Nov 2019 | The United Nations published a report showing the growing gap between what we need to do to fight climate change and what we actually do about it. While this report should be a call for action for all of us, most of us will probably ignore it. To stop the loop of inaction — bad report — more inaction we need to start figuring out why we don’t give a f*ck and how we fix this unproductive dynamic.

To Fly Or Not To Fly: That Is The (Wrong?) Question

Oct 2019 | In response to the ongoing discussion of fellow academics on whether we need to stop flying or fly less, I offer to put it in the context of change making, focusing on the adaptive nature of the challenge we face, the need to craft an appealing vision of sustainable and fair travel, and why we need a click moment.

Design For The Climate Crisis At The Age Of Greta

Aug 2019 | Let’s face it. We have a design problem when it comes to addressing the climate crisis. We have good ideas (Project Drawdown), but we fail quite miserably when it comes to actually implement them. It is time to consider a different design approach that is implementation-oriented and is serious about context and urgency. Presenting DEFT: A new design framework for the climate crisis.

What is the Value of Circular Economy Without Sustainability?

Jul 2019 | What’s the meaning of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s decision not to talk about sustainability and frame the circular economy around economy? While using or not using the S word may seem like just a question of choosing the right frame, it may go deeper than that, representing very two different directions for the circular economy.

The Sustainable Investing Industry’s Choice: Be Bold Or Die

Jul 2019 | A new report celebrates the growth of sustainable (aka ESG or socially responsible) investing to $30.7 trillion, but is there really a reason for celebration? Is this growing industry reflecting the sustainability agenda of the past or the future? It’s time to reevaluate the value of sustainable investing!

Can Environmental Disclosure Move the Needle? An Interview with Emily Kreps of CDP

Jun 2019 | CDP’s latest campaign targeting companies that refuse to disclose their environmental impacts provided me with an opportunity to talk with Emily Kreps, Global Director of Investor Initiatives at CDP about their work and impact at the age of climate emergency. The conversation led me to the inevitable question: Is CDP more like Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders?

New Dashboard Wants to Distinguish Heroes from Villains Based on Climate Action and CEO Pay Ratio

May 2019 | While it may be difficult to fit sustainability into a Marvel comics’ narrative, we find ourselves at a moment where we desperately need to know which companies behave more like Captain America and which act more like Thanos. A new dashboard offers some help!

It’s Time For A Change In The Fight On Climate Change: Goodbye Attenboroughs, Hello Gretas!

Apr 2019 | David Attenborough’s documentary “Climate Change — The Facts” is the latest indication that it’s time to say goodbye to the approach that knowledge can ignite action on climate change and adopt a new approach that believes in challenging the system in smart and non-violent ways and in getting people excited about fighting climate change. Welcome to the age of the Gretas!

The 2019 Guide for the Sustainability Warrior

Jan 2019 | 2019 should be all about navigating to a new path, where sustainability and climate change goals become achievable, not just aspirational. The following recommendations for business transformation and mindset change can help us get there.

Can We Take [Meaningful] Action On Climate Change?

Oct 2018 | Lessons from a new study by GlobeScan and IKEA on our biggest challenge: Changing our lifestyle quickly and in a meaningful way to enable us to meet the Paris Agreement goals.

A Climate Change Pivot: Paris Agreement is Failing. This is How We Can Fix It.

Aug 2018 | It’s time to acknowledge the experiment we did so far with the Paris Agreement is failing and that we need to make a pivot (changing the strategy, not the vision) ASAP. This pivot doesn’t guarantee success, but without it failure is all but certain.