The phrase “How you earn your money is social responsibility” belongs to Global Reporting Initiative President Mervyn E. King (*). He used this phrase during his presidency in 2009 when he came to Istanbul for a conference where we had a chance to dine together. Actually this phrase shelters a meaning that can lead and direct the century that we live in. Due to its changed façade after industrialization, business world had left behind a thick criminal record in 20th century. Not only we can’t account for how we earned these dollars; we have generated such innovative ways to cover this process up, we now can’t move away from these models. That’s why we can’t face the truth that the reason why today’s agenda has “responsibility” due to our “irresponsibilities”. From nuclear to weapon showcases to extinction of natural habitats to lakes dirtied by chemicals, deserted farmlands, burned forests… But most fundamentally way back to the ignorance of human rights, these were only a couple irresponsibilities that thickened our criminal record we now desperately trying to fix with social responsibility. The attraction and spell of fossil fuels left the chance of a humanly world all for us behind, causing regional and global wars, while surrounding all stages of life like a octopus by generating products that drained and even destructed human race. Now the ethical and moral values, employee rights, discrimination, extinction of nature have centered the stage of our agenda as a result of fossil fuel based derivates. Unfortunately, now the same scenario is being written for nuclear as well.
For the very first time in business history in 2012 a tech company’s (Apple) market share has excelled an energy company who long time held world’s largest company title (Exxon-Mobile). How should we read this?
In 1984 with Apple Macintosh launch, technology and innovation have been leveraged into a stage where an ordinary person can benefit from and awakened the minds of some. People started to see the difference between what officials say about the world and what’s really going on with the help of technology under their fingertips that can reach any information available to them. And they realized the world wasn’t as it was being told. Not realizing these individuals evolved into global individuals by creating communities on social networks. So the globalizing dynamics that fired up companies and brands’ consumption community since industrialization have been confronted by a new era that put humanly values and community dynamics front.
Global companies hiding behind their global powers, acting as they were “untouchable”, for once were forced to put themselves together due to boycott threats of public in 1990s around the world. It wasn’t until 2000s these global companies came to realization of the seriousness of this situation when they have first understood “their own employees are also a part of this global individuals group”. So, white or blue collar, employees of these global companies who had no clue on other’s names, geography, language, religion, race, age shared the same values. More over, expected from their own company management to share and implement these values. That’s why in 2000s world’s leading companies started to forcefully embrace “sustainable development” based business models. After Enron, this started to reflect on investors as well. Now, the success shown on financial indicators were not a guarantee of their future. As a matter of fact 135 billion dollar worth Enron was an 80 cent company, over a night!
2000s were years where you frequently saw 1994 Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce book on top of some executives’ desks. Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface carpets, who was very much influenced by this book and author, transformed his company by embracing “Zero Carbon by 2020” slogan. We have witnessed “Sustainability Indexes” being founded as investors started to raise their voices on how companies can be ecologically and socially be sensible while earning money. 2008 financial crises was a milestone in history as a total transformation and a change point.
In the days when all fundamental rules of capitalism were being disregarded by thousands of protesters, global individuals embraced a new slogan: 99%. It meant 99% of the population who wanted to produce, consume and live humanly were up against the 1% of the population who was empowered by their wealth, playing money games, have significant say in on governments, passing legislation and laws as they like, living happily inside their domes! These are few of the true stories’ need to be noted as promising developments for the future.
However, near future will be an era where edgy and rough agendas being managed. Social transformation and change brings along a painful process with it. Firstly, it is being apprehended by the possibility while constructing new sources for the world monetary markets, the bosses whom are managing these sources well over 200 years, triggers a “war” as they are accustomed to and as always weapon industry takes over the flagship and leads rest of the market. We already are witnessing the rehearsals for such scenario in the Middle East.
That’s why one of the most fundamental indicators of ecological strategies is “seeds”… Variety and richness of seeds will become on of the most important indicators of this century for separation of “develop/undeveloped” yet this fight is on our global agendas for well over 20 years. Seed terrorists are using every political card they have for keeping their status on this issue.
A third indicator is “water”… Scientific data projecting by 2030 only half of the world population will have access to clean water is both scary and sleep deprivative. For communities who’ll longing for water, migrating where there are clean water resources, a scenario which is not very far away to be staged. Now and then, we started to rehearse food crises due to water issues – droughty farmlands. “Water Fights”, in other words close combat days are another hot issue on the table. And again, lack of clean water will be cause of several epidemics, famine, hunger and similar mass disasters as a gift of irresponsibilities’ of the past century to us.
There is no need to look for any other indicator. However when looked from social responsibility perspective 3 main issues will be a constant reminder of our responsibilities.
Zero Waste; starting from homes to daily lives, we have to transform our mentality to become zero waste centered.
Renewable energy; we urgently have to start transform and even outreach all fossil fuel sourced energies to sun, wind, water based clean energies, again starting from our homes.
Accountability; the raising star of this century will be accountability. First internally, then for the society we live in, we need to create a constantly accounted for environment in order for us to sleep in peace.
In short we have entered an era where we are “responsible for our responsibilities”. At least “global individuals” are aware of this. A little relief and hope for the future…
(*)Prof. Mervyn E. King President of Global Reporting Initiative and writer of King I, King II, King III reports, most common guides in Corporate Management
Leave a Reply