如果過往是序曲，那麼若要預言未來面臨環境保護、人道的勞工管理、生物多樣性、水資源供應及其他永續發展的挑戰，企業所處的位置，我們必須要回頭看。
15年前，一些有優勢的公司像是班傑利(Ben & Jerry's)、Timberland、及Tom's of Marine公司，將其創辦人的社會責任感，甚至有些是其道德觀價值，融入資本家的模範。不過，這些企業卻非美國企業文化的主流，他們回溯到1960年代的理想主義，代表著美國企業力的一小部分。
的確，數十年來，企業世界對環境責任、透明度和維持商業實務，普遍都強力抵抗。這樣的企業理念被視為是邊緣環保人士的職責，而且多數人認為此情此景會改變根本就是白日夢。
15年很快過去，到2007年5月的一個星期。世界最大商業集團之一花旗集團，聲明將在未來10年付出500億美元投資與資助計畫，以減少全球碳排放，包括發展替代能源和清淨技術。
電腦界令人肅然起敬的龍頭老大IBM，聲明將花費10億美元，提高全球運作上的能源使用效率。這全都是在一個星期中發生的！在每個案例中，促成這些決定的是經濟的基本要求，以及對永續發展為企業核心的體認。
十數個財星500大企業，包括美鋁(Alcoa)、昇陽（SunMicrosystems）、BP石油(BP America)、Interface、太平洋瓦斯與電力公司，積極促使聯邦立法減低美國的碳排放，並持續投入資金，改善其環保成效。
投資者也有所幫助，在企業面對種種永續發展挑戰時，投資者把資金移往具備更佳透明度及責任感的企業。
氣候變遷是所有永續議題之母，並且在每個經濟環節上產生衝擊，包括新的規章、自然界的影響、對氣候友善科技的需求成長等。因此，氣候風險深埋在每件生意往來與投資組合之中，這就是為什麼越來越多的華爾街市場分析師，將企業責任對氣候風險的考量納入他們評估項目。
Dozens of Fortune 500 companies - Alcoa, SunMicrosystems, BP America, Interface and Pacific Gas & Electric, among them - have urged federal legislation to cap or reduce U.S. carbon emissions and have made substantial investments to improve their environmental performance.
If past is prologue, then to forecast where businesses will be in tackling environmental protection, humane labor practices, biodiversity, water supply and other sustainability challenges, we have to look back.
Fifteen years ago, a relative handful of niche companies such as Ben & Jerry's, Timberland, and Tom's of Maine, were integrating the social consciences of their founders and even, in some cases, their spiritual values, into the capitalist model. But these companies were far outside the mainstream of American corporate culture, throwbacks to the idealism of the 1960s, and represented a tiny fraction of American corporate power.
Indeed, for decades there had been strong and pervasive resistance in the corporate world to environmental responsibility, transparency and sustainable business practices. Such corporate values were seen as the province of the "tree-hugger" fringe and the notion that this could ever change was widely dismissed as a pipe dream.
Fast-forward 15 years to a single week in May 2007. Citigroup, one of the world's largest financial conglomerates, announces that it will commit $50 billion over 10 years on investments and project financing to reduce global carbon emissions, including development of alternative energy and clean technologies.
And IBM, the venerable computer giant, announces it is spending $1 billion to become more energy efficient across its global operations. All in a single week! In each case, these decisions were driven by bottom-line economics and a recognition that sustainability is a core business issue.
Investors, too, are helping to shift the tide towards greater corporate transparency and accountability on a variety of sustainability challenges.
Climate change is the mother of all sustainability issues and will have an impact on every economic sector, whether from new regulations, physical impacts or growing demand for climate-friendly technologies. Thus, climate risk is embedded in every business and investment portfolio, which is why more Wall Street analysts are beginning to factor corporate response to climate risk into their evaluations of the companies they cover.
全文及圖片詳見 ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
