From the Top, Down

In a recent article published in The Guardian, a new CEO survey shows that it is hard to get investors on board with sustainability. This is interesting, as companies have shown that sustainability practices help, if anything, with attracting consumers. Why is this different with investors?

Perhaps it is the cost, or perceived costs, associated with being green. People see dollar signs instead of grass and ocean and the sky that we are preserving. The CEO’s of many Fortune 500 companies have stated that they would like to get more into the sustainability realm, but that engaging investors on this topic is increasingly difficult. In the final this week for our capstone course, Professor Bremmer asked us whether we should work on engaging the top half of the income bracket to get them on board with sustainability, or to work from the bottom up. I believe that you must start from the top, and that these practices will trickle down. Large companies and factories are some of the top damagers to our environment. If we are able to engage

While I normally hate writing things of this nature, this post serves more as a call to action, than a solution. I once heard a saying that went something like: “if you don’t have a better idea, than don’t complain about the current idea.” But I’m afraid that I am doing just that. I am just dipping a toe into the sustainability realm with this class, but have been truly touched by the topic and the efforts everyone in our class has put forward to help further this initiative I certainly don’t have a solution, but I believe the more people we get involved, the quicker we can come to one.