Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 11:59
Earlier this week I had a great opportunity to attend a Nokia environmental roundtable event. This was alien territory for me. I mean, me, a bunch of journalists and a group of corporate environmental specialists. Definitely not my usual crowd.
The purpose of the event, which Nokia organized and sponsored, was to gather a group of business leaders and specialists in environmental issues to discuss where green business is headed. Representatives included David Conrad from Nokia, Irene Henriques of York's Schulich School of Business, Merril Mascarenhas of consulting firm Arcus Group and Nelson Switzer from Direct Energy. And there I was, thrilled to be listening to such a fantastic discussion!
The group went through a number of environmental and sustainability issues facing businesses. After each issue was raised, representatives had a chance to comment on the issue. Topics included some of the following: how are economics, business and sustainability linked? How can business put sustainability into everything they do? How can businesses expand green awareness using their products?
These were big issues and each panelist had an interesting response. I won't even try to summarize them all here. The most important thing I learned from this group was that there are businesses out there that really care. By organizing this event Nokia showed that they are genuinely concerned about sustainability and a leader in CSR, or corporate social responsibility.
We usually think of businesses as producing things. They make something, advertise it and sell it. What a lot of people don't know is that corporate social responsibility is becoming a huge part of where businesses put their money. Companies today know that they have to give back if they want to be part of the social ecosystem in which consumers buy their products. Companies are now seeing that they are part of two ecosystems: the social ecosystem of buying and selling, and the environmental ecosystem that we all have to preserve if we're going to live on this planet. The very fact that Nokia held this event and had this frank discussion of what all businesses need to be doing shows a real interest in making business practices greener.
Just like consumers have to be aware of how they consume, today businesses have to be aware of how they produce. It's great to see that companies like Nokia are taking the right steps towards making everything they do greener and more sustainable.
After the roundtable discussion there was also a documentary film screener.Wild Ocean is a Nokia sponsored film about the fragile ocean ecosystem off the southern coast of South Africa. Did you know that the sardines you eat from a can are part of an ecosystem that begins in South Africa? Well they are. And showing how we're all connected and all have a part in the global sustainability movement is one of the main ideas this fantastic film has to offer. I definitely recommend checking out this film if you get a chance. It's got a great message and some absolutely beautiful shots of marine wildlife.
You can see the film on DVD or at an IMAX® theatre near you. Keep an eye out for it!
