While interviewing the CSR manager of a large firm in China, we got onto the conversation of how easy it seems to get staff and executives to support programs where the benefactor was half way around the world, but so difficult to engage those same people to engage in a local issue. this is something that I have seen fairly frequently as many I speak have come from the "west", and are in Asia "…
Last week, in partnership with HK Polytechnic, I co-organized with Poly U an event called the Opportunities Beyond Business as Usual for nearly 100 alumni and business executives. An event that came about through discussions about the future of business, and the future of social enterprises, we specifically made the decision to use the two hours to make the case that the meaning of moving be…
One of the conversations that I find myself in, and write about as well, is the ability of tangibility to catalyze change. that instead of focusing efforts on issues like "climate Chnage" and saving the polar bears, it is important to look locally at the source to fix problems before their byproducts (methane, CO2, lead, etc) are able to do their damage. So, when reading through the recent Busine…
Following last week's post where I listed China's Social entrepreneurs and enterprises, I thought I would also update the list of people and organizations who are focused on sustainability and the environment in China. As before, this is certainly not a complete list of those who exist on twitter, so if you see anyone missing, please post in the comments section. Environmentalists and Sustainabi…
Last year, Jack Ma said in an interview with Charlie Rose that the biggest business opportunities (in China) would be those fixing China's problems, and if you have been following IBM in china they are clearly showing an interest. going back 3 years ago, IBM began working with the city of Shenyang to monitor the city water supply, with the expectation that following the one year monitoring…
Business leaders have today warned financial short-termism is continuing to prevent companies from becoming more sustainable. A global survey of 642 senior executives, campaigners and academics conducted by consultancies GlobeScan and SustainAbility found 88 per cent of respondents regard pressure to deliver immediate financial results remains a significant barrier to firms' sustainability effo…
While there are those who feel that China's economy has no limits, I would like to direct your attention to yet another example of where China's economy is outstripping the basic laws of environmental carrying capacity. Poyang lake, located in North Jiangxi province is perhaps one of the largest lakes that you have never heard of, and it is likely that it will be lost. At only 5% of its…
The other day, while making my way home I caught a glimpse of Toray's desalination advertisement. It was one of those moments that at first I was not sure what I was looking, or the greater meaning, until the very end where the advert cuts out with the ocean in the background and makes reference to it being an "endless resource". A message supported by on their website where they say the…
If the first step towards recovery is admitting that you have a problem, then readers will agree that Apple taking the time to meet with several of China's most prominent Green NGOs was a first step for Apple. Particularly given the fact that Apple was largely unwilling to address the numerous labor and environmental failures taking place over the course of years. And, for others, the fact that…
Last month while being interviewed for the New York Times piece China's City of the Future Rises on a Wasteland, I was asked about the importance of planning China's eco-cities... What should be the goal of an eco-city and why are they important to China? To me, this was perhaps one of the more important and interesting questions I have been asked on the topic, a topic I have been interviewe…
Over the last few weeks, one of the issues that I have been focused on my twitter stream on is that of social entrepreneurs, more specifically how the term “social entrepreneur” largely implies an organization that (1) solves a social mission and (2) rarely grows bigger than anything “cute”. That, while there are certainly a few organizations like GroupOn and Whole Foods that have broken out of t…
This is an old post that I originally had at another site, but while catching up on some reading, I was reminded by the power of the interviews we did last summer, the stories we began to tell, and the sense of respect I have for China's migrant workers Earlier in the year while a few of my interns were inbetween assignments, I tasked them to get out of the office and do some street int…
With less than a month to go to Shanghai EXPO, I have been receiving a number of requests for my opinion on the "sustainability" of the EXPO itself. It is a subject I addressed for the first time while speaking at a Net Impact event, and followed that up with a review of the UNEP report (part 1 and part 2) of the event, and most recently I was interviewed by NPR and following the recent JUCCCE…
1. Chengdu’s power saving technology world-leading, filling domestic gap On March 12th, Chengdu Gaowei Power Saving Technology Co., Ltd officially announced its latest R&D results costing 6 years and a few million yuan – the energy-saving technology and equipment of the submerged arc furnace and electric arc furnace. It is reported that this power-saving technology not only fills the domestic…
This weekend, while attending the Three on The Bund Sustainable Business and Society Event, I knew that it would be one that I would be interested in, as at the top of the ticket you had thee leaders of business management schools talking about sustainability. Moderated by PhD Lu Xiongwen ,Dean of Fudan University's Business School, the main event was really when Prof. Richard Locke got up to s…
