The green teenies

At the time of writing, it doesn’t look like the Copenhagen Summit is going to produce much in the way of meaningful, legally binding, deal on climate change. Politicians might pull a rabbit out of the hat at the last minute, but it looks like the real incentive for change will have to come from the bottom up not the top down - i.e. from people working within, or dealing with, businesses - as well as from consumers and the wider public.

What’s clear, though, is the green imperative isn’t going to go away. Businesses that fail to adopt sustainable practices will find themselves under increasing scrutiny as it becomes ever harder to hide in an open, networked world. Let’s not forget that those who will be emerging from academia and entering the work force in the next decade have a much bigger vested interest in ensuring organisations go green - and they have been raised with the implicit understanding that this will be the most fundamental challenge for their generation. They are the talent of the future and businesses that fail to woo them will stagnate.

As social, semantic and mobile web technologies mature and converge in the coming decade,  it will be far easier for people to choose which companies they deal with or work for based on their environmental policies or record. For example, consumers will be able to wave their smartphone or other device in front of a product and see a ‘green light’ if that product conforms to environmental (or other) criteria previously specified. Businesses and workers will have similarly simple ways to evaluate and accredit who they choose as partners, suppliers or employers. Communities negatively affected by anti-environmental company policies will be better equipped to organise, protest and publicise their plight, with all the dangers of reputational damage that implies for offending companies.

As I’ve pointed out in previous posts and articles here and elsewhere, people are most productive and innovative when they feel their ideas are listened to and their values are reflected in the work they do. Those organisations that really want to become - as the cliche goes - part of the solution, rather than part of the problem, need to ensure they can attract the ‘green generation’ as both employees and customers.

Those that succeed are likely to see a ‘virtuous circle’ of benefits. Since their employees are happier and more productive, they will be more efficient organisations. As more efficient (as well as demonstrably sustainable) organisations they will win more business. And by winning more business, they will prove that sustainable business is better business. This is why I’m optimistic that the teenies could really turn out to be the decade of the greenies.