In The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability, Paul Hawken describes how ecology and business do not have to be enemies of each other, and that free enterprise can in fact be sustainable. He argues that because the age of industrialism is coming to an end at the same time as the climate crisis is reaching a point of no return, businesses have little choice but to ‘go green’ in order to create an environment that can sustain human development. Rather than focusing on just making money and selling stuff, businesses must base their purpose, he says, on the need to “increase the general well-being of humankind through service, a creative invention and ethical philosophy” – and this will be brought about by incentives that favour long-term ecological sustainability over short-term gain. This is an interesting read as part of the growing body of work advocating for the greening of the economy.
further reading…
In The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability, Paul Hawken describes how ecology and business do not have to be enemies of each other, and that free enterprise can in fact be sustainable. He argues that because the age of industrialism is coming to an end at the same time as the climate crisis is reaching a point of no return, businesses have little choice but to ‘go green’ in order to create an environment that can sustain human development. Rather than focusing on just making money and selling stuff, businesses must base their purpose, he says, on the need to “increase the general well-being of humankind through service, a creative invention and ethical philosophy” – and this will be brought about by incentives that favour long-term ecological sustainability over short-term gain. This is an interesting read as part of the growing body of work advocating for the greening of the economy.