By: Pia Zevallos - Libélula's General Manager
More than five years ago, at the annual nexos+1 Forum on sustainability and climate change, Pedro Friedrich, Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sistema B and Director of Tonka SA, asked an audience of Peruvian companies: "If your business grows, is it good for the planet? This question, in light of the climate, political, economic and social crises we are experiencing, is more relevant than ever.
The private sector needs to strengthen its action on sustainability. The first global stocktaking of the Sustainable Development Goals through the eyes of the private sector - a study by the Global Compact and Accenture - tells us that while the majority (81%) of global business leaders believe their businesses are doing enough to contribute to the goals, fewer (62%) feel their sector is doing enough, and only half (48%) say the private sector is doing enough.
A new year is always full of questions for an organization: Where do we want to go? How much are we going to sell? What profitability do we expect? What improvements are we going to implement in our processes? Along with these important questions, we must not forget to ask others, if we want to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business, and if we seek to transcend: What is the future we want to build and for which our business is relevant? How adapted is my company (or business model) to the challenges of today's world, including climate change? What negative externalities do we generate and how are we managing them? How much quality work will we generate? What values guide the company? What am I contributing? What am I reporting? What is the legacy we want to leave behind?
In addition, as CEOs, and based on the recommendations of Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and bestselling author, who states that "a changing world demands the ability to reconsider and unlearn", there are crucial questions to ask ourselves in this context of very high uncertainty: Am I giving myself space to learn about issues that are new to me (such as climate change), and asking hard questions about my business? Who do I influence and how do I use that influence? How long has it been since I revised my company's vision or purpose to incorporate urgent contextual issues? To whom am I accountable for this vision or purpose? Am I surrounded by people who question my thinking?
Grant states that "We cannot change the world if we are not willing to change ourselves". In this context of enormous environmental and human degradation, let us be ready to put the enormous potential of business at the service of something greater.
