Create

A BETTER FUTURE

BUSINESS

Most of the socioeconomic institutions of modern industrial societies are based on the pursuit of material progress through separation from and conquest of nature, or in other words, we are gainfully pushed into capitalistic ways and views. If it doesn't bring a profit it is not of value. There is a resource piracy that has become the basis of economic growth, which, in turn, has become the dominant measure of social advance. The limits of this materialistic philosophy are now clearly characterized in the accelerating destruction of Earth's ecological systems.

All human beings are born with an innate, lifelong desire and ability to learn, which should be enhanced by all organizations. People learn best from and with one another, and participation in learning communities is vital to their effectiveness, well-being and happiness in any work setting. The capacities and accomplishments of organizations are inseparable from, and dependent on, the capacities of the learning communities which they foster. It is essential that organizations and businesses evolve to be in greater harmony with human nature and with the natural world. They must develop individual and collective capabilities to understand complex, interdependent issues; engage in reflective, generative conversation; and nurture personal and shared aspirations. Learning communities that connect multiple organizations can significantly enhance the capacity for profound individual and organizational change.

Businesses from a variety of industries and world regions are beginning to understand and respond strategically to the evolving challenges of sustainable development. As companies proceed further down the environmental management continuum towards sustainability, they increasingly are broadening the scope of their efforts to include social as well as environmental and economic considerations. Many people refer to this perspective as the “triple bottom line.” They are recognizing the need to create not just shareholder value but also wider economic, social and environmental value. The adoption of sustainability practices helps individual businesses and farmers save money while also helping the environment. In short, sustainability practices are often just plain good business.

Business for Social Responsibility - Today's business landscape requires that companies navigate a complex and evolving set of economic, environmental and social challenges and address stakeholder demands for greater transparency, accountability and responsibility. These factors affect all aspects of business operations - from supply chain to marketplace and from employee productivity to investor return. Since 1992, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) has helped companies of all sizes and sectors to achieve success in ways that demonstrate respect for ethical values, people, communities and the environment.

Ethical Business Pledge - Will you be a part of the movement to change the world of business? In short, will you help create a moral code of business ethics based on honesty, integrity, and quality?

Greenbiz– The Resource Center on Business, the Environment and the Bottom Line: a Program of the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation.

Sustainable Business Information - Over 200 articles to help you run your business better--everything from how to prevent credit card fraud to how to run a successful business on- or off-line to trend articles about the future of business. Featuring some of the best thinkers of the Digital Age.

Chronos - an exciting new e-learning tutorial on the business case for sustainable development, from personal values to corporate action, designed to equip employees with the relevant and meaningful knowledge they need to deliver on corporate priorities that include: create business value; improve the financial performance of a company; and reduce operating costs.

Earth Trends - EarthTrends is an online collection of information regarding the environmental, social, and economic trends that shape our world. Committed to the principle that accurate information drives responsible decisions by governments and individuals, EarthTrends offers the public a large breadth of statistical, graphic, and analytical data in easily accessible formats.

Business Environment Leadership Council - The Pew Center's Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC) is a group of leading companies worldwide that are responding to the challenges posed by climate change. This section of our site provides information on the activities and contributions of BELC members.The members of the BELC recognize that the risks and complexities of climate change are so important that we must work together to meet this challenge.

Energy Conservation for Business - Environmental leadership adds value to your bottom line and corporate reputation. Energy management is an important aspect of environmental management which will show healthy dividends for your business. ENERGY STAR has the strategies to make you a leader and set your organization apart.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) - The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 170 international companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable development via the three pillars of economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. Our members are drawn from more than 35 countries and 20 major industrial sectors. We also benefit from a global network of 45 national and regional business councils and partner organizations located in 40 countries, involving some 1,000 business leaders globally.The WBCSD's activities reflect our belief that the pursuit of sustainable development is good for business and business is good for sustainable development.

University of Cambridge Programme for Industry (CPI) - CPI seeks to be recognized as the premier provider of sustainability executive education programs. CPI responds with a broad range of programs designed to support learning in the professional and corporate context. It offers key services to individuals, organizations and consortia wishing to develop their human capital in the area of sustainable development.

The Apollo Alliance - The Apollo Alliance is building a broad coalition within the labor, environmental, business, urban, and faith communities in support of good jobs and energy independence. The Alliance is developing public education campaigns and communications strategies to link allies and build a national constituency for a bold, broad based, and immediate program of public policy.

Sustainable Table - Sustainable Table is a new way to learn about healthy foods for you and your family. Sustainable Table is a consumer campaign developed by the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE). It was launched to help fill in the gaps in the sustainable food movement, and to help direct consumers to the leading organizations who are working on the issue. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by all the problems surrounding our food supply, Sustainable Table celebrates the joy of food and eating.

Eat Well Guide - Consumers looking to buy meat, poultry, dairy and eggs from sustainable family farmers can now turn to the Eat Well Guide, a free online directory officially sponsored by the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE).

Global Environmental Management Initiative - GEMI is globally recognized as a leader in providing strategies for businesses to achieve Environmental Health & Safety excellence, economic success, and corporate citizenship. Their focus is business helping business to improve EHS performance, shareholder value, and corporate citizenship.

The AtKisson Accelerator - The AtKisson Accelerator is a comprehensive toolkit that helps integrate sustainability into organizations, initiatives, and plans. It is for use by any group, organization, business, community, or region, in virtually any context. The purpose is to help those initiatives to develop more quickly and to be much more effective in facilitating system-wide change towards sustainability.

Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility - As You Sow is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility. The organization’s mission is to: Promote progressive social and environmental policies at companies through the Corporate Social Responsibility Program. At CSRP, we represent the interests of socially concerned investors in dialogue with some of the largest and most prominent U.S. corporations.

Sustainable Business Network - Sustainable Business Network: enabling business to flourish through sustainable practice. The Sustainable Business Network is a forum for businesses that are interested in sustainable development practice to get together and make it happen.

Triple Bottom Line Guide - The Sustainable Business Network and the Ministry for the Environment have developed "Enterprise 3 - a Your business and the Triple Bottom Line: Economic, environmental, social performance" guide in partnership. It identifies ways that businesses can adopt better business practices to make a positive difference for the environment and society, while at the same time improving their overall business performance. The Guide suggests simple and practical things any business can do to assess and improve their environmental, social and economic performance.

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility - For over thirty years the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) has been a leader of the corporate social responsibility movement. ICCR's membership is an association of 275 faith- based institutional investors, including national denominations, religious communities, pension funds, endowments, hospital corporations, economic development funds and publishing companies. ICCR and its members press companies to be socially and environmentally responsible. Each year ICCR- member religious institutional investors sponsor over 100 shareholder resolutions on major social and environmental issues.

Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center - After a century of service as a warehouse for the goods of the industrial economy, the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center has been revitalized by Ecotrust as a marketplace that fosters the ideas, goods, and services of a conservation economy. The Center has been acclaimed by civic leaders and has already gained recognition as an important contribution to the city's landscape, a unique blend of environmental innovation and historic restoration.

Environmental Protection and Jobs - A coalition of labor and environmental advocates are hailing the findings of this new report that clearly demonstrates how smarter environmental policies can lead to significant job creation. The report Smarter, Cleaner, Stronger: Secure Jobs, Clean Environment, and Less Foreign Oil details for the first time on a national and a state-by-state basis, the economic benefits that will result from energy policies that stimulate the development of clean energy technologies.

Certified Organic Retailer - Online since 1995, MotherNature.com has been the place to shop for natural, cruelty-free and environmentally-friendly health and beauty products. MotherNature.com maintains over 8,000 natural and organic products in stock, each created using manufacturing techniques stressing the principles of conservation and safe-land use. To help individuals educate themselves in order to better manage their own health, MotherNature.com provides users with free access to one of the most comprehensive, authoritative and independent natural health libraries available. MotherNature.com became the first internet-based retailer to receive third party Organic Certification in accordance with the USDA's National Organic Program. Online shoppers, as a result, can now easily find and confidently buy certified organic products, knowing that the integrity and purity of each organic product is guaranteed throughout its full lifecycle - from concept to consumer. MotherNature.com is also the first and only online retailer to have its operations run 100% using renewable sources of energy, derived entirely from the wind, water and sun.