Seems to me that businesses who opt for environmental sustainable practices have a greater chance of long-term viability in today’s market, which values fair-trade cotton over a cheap t-shirt. In this sense, environmental sustainability leads to economic resilience. People will buy a more expensive product if the materials are sourced sustainably. Yes, the up-front cost of buying organic, or fair-trade may be higher initially. But once the market is in place, the economy of scale will take over. Not only this, but sustainable practices will ensure that there are materials (such as cotton) that can be utilized “indefinitely,” therefore allowing companies like Patagonia to stay in business far longer than their money-first counterpart. Furthermore, companies that are continually rated higher by a VCI will get a greater market share. *Indifinitely is in quotes because, statistically speaking, there will always be some sort of man-made or natural event that lead to a crop die-off.
It is surprising just how quick the market changed. Obviously companies like Patagonia have been working toward sustainable practices for some time now. But the number of companies drinking the Cool Aid is growing ever faster, and I’m pretty sure that the recent outdoor movement has spurred some of this growth. When we look at a picture of Tommy Cladwell scaling the Dawn Wall with Patagonia gear that is organic, fair-trade, and mother approved, we say to ourselves: “self, I bet those pants will outlast mine because they are better for the environment,” then we buy them.
How do we get companies to look at more than just the bottom line? How do they escape the capitalist pit of endless exploitation of natural resources? It seems that societal and “common gardens” values are becoming the norm – what do I mean by this? When the CEO of DOW chemical is working with The Nature Conservancy in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, and who says something like: “companies that value and integrate biodiversity and ecosystem services into their strategic plans are best positioned for the future.” Its potent. And it took Mark Tercek, the CEO and President of TNC, to show DOW’s CEO that they didn’t need to rely on an elaborate and expensive system of carbon scrubbers. That they could instead plant trees and reclaim the wetlands near their factories. These companies need to realize that by viewing the market as a common garden, they can expand their business, and escape the trap of not considering the environment in their strategic plan.
I love the upbeat flow of your post. It made me feel as though we are simply right around the corner from all companies following these sustainability practices!
On a less upbeat note, I often find myself wondering if we are only under the impression this huge change is taking place because we are in the infamous Boulder bubble. I just recently visited my small Kansas college town to find that they are way less sustainable than I remember. There is essentially no strict environmental action going on (aside from farmers) and that makes me wonder just how many places there are like that in the US. This thought does not really bum me out, but instead excites me because it means there is tons of work for us to do! Some of us just need to go work with these environmental pricing organizations in places that aren't Boulder CO.
Also, I did not know that DOW and the TNC have been collaborating. That's definitely something that I am going to go learn more about.
Posted by: Gabby Makatura | 02/08/2017 at 06:50 PM