I especially invite you to focus upon the following aspects of the Chronos course:

1. What, according to the course designers, are the main elements of “The Business
Case for Sustainable Development?” Amplify upon and support your answer.
2. What types of tools have the course developers used to help you to learn about
the roles different stakeholders perform in making decisions pertaining to
environmental, economic and social progress toward more sustainable societal
patterns? (Be sure to play different roles in the several case studies so you can
learn from different perspectives.)
3. What lessons did you learn in the process of working through the course that
helped you to:
a. Gain new insights into how company leaders and their employees may
benefit from the “Business Case for Sustainable Development.”
b. Gain new insights that can help you as you interact with companies and/or
that can help you as a private citizen.

Employee well-being Topic 1 o

By employee well-being we mean protecting and preserving the fundamental
rights of employees, promoting positive employee treatment, and contributing to
employee quality of life.

This covers:

Employee rights
Responsible workplace practices
Employee health and safety
Work life balance
Respect for diversity
Employee compensation (pay and benefits).

Read more about employee well-being before answering the questions.

Employee well-being

Employee rights. Respecting the rights of employees, including their right to

freedom of association, and supporting constructive dialogue between
employees and employer.

Responsible workplace practices. Promoting responsible practices at work

and positive treatment of employees. This includes taking no part in
compulsory (forced) labour, exploitation of children, corporal punishment, and
physical abuse of employees.

Employee health and safety. Promoting a healthy and safe workplace. This
includes compliance with occupational health and safety standards and
practices, management of health and safety risks in the workplace, and
employee training.

Work life balance. Promoting balance between work and personal or family
life. Examples of programmes and practices include flexible work options,
dependent care services, time-off policies, or health and wellness programs.

Respect for diversity. Promoting diversity as a source of innovation.

Eliminating discrimination and harassment for any cause, e.g. colour, race,
gender, age, disability, race, sexual orientation or religion.

Employee compensation (pay and benefits). Compensating employees

fairly, without discrimination, and in a manner that enables them to meet at
least their basic needs.
Community and society well-being Topic 2 o
By community and society well-being we mean understanding the needs of a
broad range of stakeholders in order to improve the educational, cultural, and socio-
economic well-being of the communities in which the company operates and in
society at large.

This covers:

Social equity
Basic human needs
Human capital.

Read more about community and society well-being before answering the questions.

Community and society well-being

Social equity. Working to eliminate barriers to social equity, which is defined

as fair and impartial access to social or public services regardless of economic
or social status. Improvement initiatives could include contribution to the
development of public policy, business, governmental and intergovernmental
programs, and educational initiatives that promote a better quality of life.

Basic human needs. Helping to address basic human needs through the
core activities of the company, by delivering value in healthcare, nutrition,
education, housing, sanitation, clean water, transportation, and
communication in the communities in which the company operates and in
society at large.

Human capital. Developing and preserving each individual’s and the

community’s ability to develop itself by activities such as generation of
employment, training and development opportunities.
Business ethics Topic 3 o
By business ethics we mean supporting the protection of human rights within the
company’s sphere of influence, and promoting honesty, integrity and fairness in all
aspects of doing business.

This covers:

Basic human rights

Positive impact
Local cultures and indigenous people
Fair and free competition.

Read more about business ethics before answering the questions.

Business ethics

Basic human rights. Protecting and upholding the basic human rights to
which all people are entitled regardless of race, nationality, gender, economic
status, or religion.

Positive impact. Considering the full range of social, economic and

environmental impacts on a community associated with company operations,
and ensuring that those impacts are, on balance, positive.

Local cultures and indigenous people. Respecting the integrity of local

cultures and indigenous people. Indigenous people are the existing
descendants of the original people inhabiting a particular region or country.

Fair and free competition. Engaging in fair and free competition; not
offering, paying, or accepting bribes or kickbacks, and refraining from using
information on competitors that was obtained illegally or unethically.
Shareholder value creation Topic 4 o
By shareholder value creation we mean integrating sustainable development
thinking into business practices in order to create long-term shareholder value by
securing a competitive return on investment, protecting the company’s assets, and
enhancing the company’s reputation and brand image.

This covers:

Competitive returns and protection of assets

Reputation and brand.

Read more about shareholder value creation before answering the questions.

Shareholder value creation

Competitive returns and protection of assets. Integrating sustainable

development in management thinking and practices to secure competitive
returns on shareholders’ investment, as well as conserving, protecting, and
building the company’s assets.

Reputation and brand. Enhancing company reputation and brand image

through integration of sustainable development thinking into business
practices.

Economic development Topic 5 o

By economic development we mean building capacity for economic development
in the communities, regions and countries in which the company operates or would
like to operate.

This covers:

Stimulating local development

Supporting disadvantaged communities.

Read more about economic development before answering the questions.

Economic development

Stimulating local development. Supporting economic development by

partnering with local businesses, hiring local staff and suppliers, and
contributing capital to investment vehicles that stimulate the growth of local
businesses.

Supporting disadvantaged communities. Contributing to the economic

well-being of lower-income and underserved communities by providing access
to jobs, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and technology, and
encouraging entrepreneurship.
Environmental impact minimisation Topic 6 o
By environmental impact minimisation we mean minimising and striving to
eliminate the adverse environmental and human health impacts of operations,
products, and services.

This covers:

Emissions and wastes

Operational incidents
Products and services.

Read more about environmental impact minimisation before answering the

questions.

Environmental impact minimisation

Emissions and wastes. Minimising adverse environmental and human

health impacts of air emissions, wastewater discharges, offensive odours,
excessive noise, solid and hazardous waste associated with products, services
and operations (including transportation and company vehicle use).

Operational incidents. Minimising or eliminating spills, releases, accidents,

and other incidents which might have adverse impacts on people or the
environment.

Products and services. Developing and distributing products and services

whose adverse environmental impacts and effects on humans have been
assessed and minimised. Considering how a new product or service can have
a positive, restorative impact on the natural world.
Natural resource protection Topic 7 o
By natural resource protection we mean promoting the sustainable use of
renewable natural resources, and conservation and wise use of non-renewable
natural resources.

This covers:

Living resources
Energy
Water
Raw materials.

Read more about natural resource protection before answering the questions.

Natural resource protection

Living resources. Promoting the conservation and sustainable use of living

resources. Includes the protection and restoration of sensitive habitats such
as forests, wetlands, coral reefs and marine sanctuaries, as well as specific
measures to protect endangered species and gene pools. Biological diversity
or biodiversity can be defined most simply as the variety of life on earth and
the systems that support it.

Energy. Conserving energy and improving the energy efficiency of

operations, products and services sold. Where practical, includes conserving
and efficiently using fossil fuels and moving towards increased use of
environmentally safe and sustainable energy sources.

Water. Conserving water and improving water quality through efficient use
and careful planning. Includes improving the water efficiency of facilities,
processes, and products and reducing or eliminating process and wastewater
discharges.

Raw materials. Helping to conserve primary resources, such as minerals,

timber, and agricultural products, by reducing raw material use in processes,
packages, and products. Includes the reuse, recycling and recovery of
materials used in industrial processes, such as metals, paper, plastics, and
construction materials, and the consideration of how they can be substituted
by renewable resources.

Share knowledge

This is where you see the company performing well, but not paying enough attention
to its success. Circulating knowledge about the positive things that are going on
could motivate others in the company to succeed in a similar way. There are many
ways you could do this: informal conversations, email, notice boards and meetings
are a start; there might also be opportunities to contribute to more formal
knowledge-sharing initiatives.
 Importance
Performance area Suggestion
(to you)

1. Employee well-being High Explore

By this we mean protecting and preserving the fundamental rights of

employees, promoting positive employee treatment, and contributing to
employee quality of life. This covers:
Employee rights
Responsible workplace practices
Employee health and safety
Work life balance
Respect for diversity
Employee compensation (pay and benefits)

2. Community and society well-being High Explore

By this we mean understanding the needs of a broad range of stakeholders in

order to improve the educational, cultural, and socio–economic well–being of
the communities in which the company operates and in society at large. This
covers:
Social equity
Basic human needs
Human capital

3. Business ethics High Explore

By this we mean supporting the protection of human rights within the

company’s sphere of influence, and promoting honesty, integrity and fairness
in all aspects of doing business. This covers:
Basic human rights
Positive impact
Local cultures and indigenous people
Fair and free competition

4. Shareholder value creation High Explore

By this we mean integrating sustainable development thinking into business

practices in order to create long–term shareholder value by securing a
competitive return on investment, protecting the company’s assets, and
enhancing the company’s reputation and brand image. This covers:
Competitive returns and protection of assets
Reputation and brand

5. Economic development High Explore

By this we mean building capacity for economic development in the

communities, regions and countries in which the company operates or would
like to operate. This covers:
Stimulating local development
Supporting disadvantaged communities

6. Environmental impact minimisation High Explore

By this we mean minimising and striving to eliminate the adverse
environmental and human health impacts of operations, products, and
services. This covers:
Emissions and wastes
Operational incidents
Products and services

7. Natural resource protection High Explore

By this we mean promoting the sustainable use of renewable natural

resources, and conservation and wise use of non–renewable natural
resources. This covers:
Living resources
Energy
Water
Raw materials

KEY TO SUGGESTIONS

Share knowledge. This is where you see the company performing well, but
not paying enough attention to its success. Circulating knowledge about the
positive things that are going on could motivate others in the company to
succeed in a similar way. There are many ways you could do this: informal
conversations, email, notice boards and meetings are a start; there might
also be opportunities to contribute to more formal knowledge-sharing
initiatives.

Keep moving. This is where the company is doing well and knows about it. It
is good news. But could you help the company build on its success and
achieve much more? For example, if 'Employee well-being' appeared in this
category, you probably admire the relationship between management and
employees. But would the company be ready to sign global agreements with
umbrella unions outlining minimum labour standards? Or commit to radical
reductions of greenhouse gas emissions? Based on the company's success
there could be value in disclosing more information to the public, or inviting
external verification of performance. Where do you think the opportunities lie?

Time for change? This is where you feel your company could do better, yet
it doesn't seem to recognise its problems. Changing the situation may be
difficult, but that is your challenge. It's not unusual for employees to have
different priorities from their company: a perfect fit would be extremely rare.
The urge to close the gap can release a lot of positive energy - energy which
the company needs to help it grow in the right direction. Discuss the situation
with colleagues to find out whether other people share your view. The joint
thinking can be extremely productive in its own right, and may lead to action
in the right areas.

Seek solution. This is where you believe the company is keen to improve its
performance, but is not delivering in practice. Others may disagree with your
assessment, or perhaps you have seen something they haven't? There are a
number of things you can do. Keeping quiet about the problems is one option,
but contacting whoever is responsible, explaining your concerns, and offering
your support, is more likely to help the company. When the company is
actively looking for new ideas, for example to support pilot projects or other
company initiatives, your insights and effort could really count.

Explore. This is where your view of the company's performance is neither

good nor bad, and where you are also uncertain about its commitment. It
could be that the company is already on top of the issues, but has not
communicated this effectively to employees. Or the situation might be more
complex than it first seems, and the company is still deciding how to respond.
Find out what is going on from colleagues and specialists elsewhere in the
company. When you have done this background research you will be in a
better position to decide how to contribute.

“We must become the change we want to see.” Mahatma Gandhi

Taking stock

From time to time everyone runs into obstacles at work. No matter how good you
are at handling situations, your ability to gather resources, allocate time and
convince colleagues will be tested on a regular basis. Sustainable development is no
exception.

Setting priorities is the easy part - in practice, someone or something must make
them happen. Defining realistic, measurable goals that keep the company moving in
the right direction is a good start. Bringing people along with you is also critical.

The trick is to think positively, make the most of the opportunities which arise and be
willing to challenge the status quo in a constructive way.

Sources of influence

People often underestimate their degree of influence on the organisation. Whatever

role you play, you have a right – sometimes a responsibility - to ask questions, raise
ideas and seek solutions which deliver on corporate priorities. If the company is keen
to boost its environmental and social performance, there are likely to be many areas
where you can contribute. Your responsibility is to identify these areas, become
better informed, and organise activities which make a difference. Whatever actions
you have in mind, your real challenge will be to demonstrate how they support
company priorities. In doing so you can expect to receive greater endorsement from
decision-makers, and to develop valuable ties with colleagues working on similar
initiatives elsewhere in the company (including its specialists). With luck, your
actions will generate much-needed insights into how sustainable development can
create long-term value for the company.
People often underestimate their degree of influence on the organisation. Whatever
role you play, you have a right – sometimes a responsibility - to ask questions, raise
ideas and seek solutions which deliver on corporate priorities. If the company is keen
to boost its environmental and social performance, there are likely to be many areas
where you can contribute. Your responsibility is to identify these areas, become
better informed, and organise activities which make a difference.
People believe people, not paper. To get something done, start with the people you
know: your networks. Most people belong to several kinds of networks in their
company, some organised, some informal and some personal. Participation in
networks can be a powerful source of learning: they hold a company's ideas
together. Think about how your networks operate, and how they could be used to
increase awareness of sustainable development in the company.
Personal drive and determination is subject to many factors - confidence, respect,
knowledge, pay and, of course, pride in what the company stands for. Taken
together these and many other factors exert a powerful influence on the behaviour of
employees. To a large extent your influence on the company (including its
environmental and social performance) revolves around your determination to make
a difference.
It’s natural to feel nervous when raising new ideas, especially when they concern a
topic like sustainable development. But there are lots of ways to improve your
persuasive skills. Focus on the things that really matter to the company - for
example its reputation, revenues or costs - and be sure to research your ideas
properly. Raise them with trusted colleagues before going further, and draw on
common experiences and language. Avoid jargon at all costs! Read some more tips
here.
Winning over colleagues

A number of tactics can be helpful when discussing sustainable development with

colleagues. Here are a few [1]:

Understand who you are talking with. Spend time listening to what they
do in the company, what kinds of pressure they are under, and who they
need to convince.

Build trust. Highlight your own concerns about the issues too, to help build
credibility and trust. Demonstrate your knowledge of the subject, and never
take someone for a fool.

Help solve their problems too. Consider yourself a resource person,

helping others to make the case in their own domains. Everyone likes a free
consultant (if they are good).

Be realistic. Many people are put off by evangelical arguments, or

unachievable proposals, particularly when time and resources are involved, or
risks are present.

Source:

Conversations with Disbelievers: persuading companies to address social challenges.

Weiser, J. and Zadek, S. The Ford Foundation, 2000.
Shared vision

As you consider what to do after Chronos, you may not have anything very dramatic
in mind. That’s ok: a modest start makes a lot of sense.

However great or small your ambitions, we recommend you follow a step-by-step

approach to making things happen.

One possibility is backcasting. This involves setting out a vision and working
backwards to see what needs to be done now to achieve it. The technique is
particularly helpful when planning changes which require a fundamental rethink of
the way things are done at present.

Although backcasting is a useful tool for personal planning, even greater value can
be obtained by using it among groups - shared vision has long been associated
with shared commitment and action.

Four steps to action

Click on the four steps of the diagram for suggestions on how to plan your
sustainable development activities.

Click Next to continue.

Sustainable development offers a new perspective on your company. Think about

this as you read its internal newsletters, listen to colleagues talk, and observe how
decisions are made. Put yourself in the shoes of someone outside the company. How
does it look then? This stage requires little effort, just keen observation. Develop a
new perspective on the company - a point of view.
Before going further, find out how your company is already responding to sustainable
development. Has it announced any specific targets or commitments in this area? If
so, how is it trying to meet them? Are there initiatives underway that you could join?
Try to learn more about the company’s past successes (and failures) to gain a better
understanding of how things get done. To refine your thinking further, discuss the
issues with your colleagues and seek input from company specialists.
This is the creative stage. Among colleagues, or simply by yourself, move forward in
time and imagine the company has fully solved its sustainability problem, or fully
benefited from an opportunity. Be as creative as you can - go beyond your normal
constraints. Notice how the present situation differs from your vision. Small details
are just as important as bigger differences. Don't worry too much about how you will
get there - ideas are more important at this stage.
Proving that sustainable development works in practice is the surest way to gain
support. Results really count. But start modestly - a small step in the right direction
is better than an expensive flop. Each win makes it more likely that your vision will
be valued by others, so pick your targets carefully, work collaboratively, and keep
the vision alive. Lead by example, keep focused, and keep going!
Before going further, find out how your company is already responding to sustainable
development. Has it announced any specific targets or commitments in this area? If
so, how is it trying to meet them? Are there initiatives underway that you could join?
Try to learn more about the company’s past successes (and failures) to gain a better
understanding of how things get done. To refine your thinking further, discuss the
issues with your colleagues and seek input from company specialists.

This is the creative stage. Among colleagues, or simply by yourself, move forward in
time and imagine the company has fully solved its sustainability problem, or fully
benefited from an opportunity. Be as creative as you can - go beyond your normal
constraints. Notice how the present situation differs from your vision. Small details
are just as important as bigger differences. Don't worry too much about how you will
get there - ideas are more important at this stage.

Proving that sustainable development works in practice is the surest way to gain
support. Results really count. But start modestly - a small step in the right direction
is better than an expensive flop. Each win makes it more likely that your vision will
be valued by others, so pick your targets carefully, work collaboratively, and keep
the vision alive. Lead by example, keep focused, and keep going!

Making a difference

Chronos has given you the opportunity to think about how you can make a difference
to your company. You might call this your leadership challenge.

Leaving the programme with a commitment to do one or two small things is fine. Or
you may be inspired to go further - to make sustainable development a focus for
future action.

Whatever you do, be bold, but be realistic!