Are you ready for the new era of sustainable business?

"The Paris agreement was fabulous in one way and terrible in another. It was fabulous because it gives us a very strong ambition and a strong steer. It was terrible because there is no commitment to action."


Are you ready for the new era of sustainable business?

Forum for the Future’s director of sustainable business David Bent is right – the climate change targets agreed upon by nations at COP21 last year were not, on their own, ‘legally-binding’ pledges. In that sense, the Paris accord won’t reduce global emissions at all.

But, based on the myriad private sector-led actions that we’ve reported on so far in 2016, Paris has already provided a fabulous fillip for businesses and investors to take the entire global economy a step closer to the two-degree pathway.

We’ve seen new innovations from the likes of Heathrow, McDonald’s, Vacherin and a host of carmakers. We’ve seen new collaborations from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Novelis and O2. We’ve seen new sustainability solutions from Whitbread, Marriott, Facebook and National Trust

And just this week, we’ve seen The Body Shop, Tetra Pak and Jaguar Land Rover all throwing their weight behind the green industrial revolution. Meanwhile, the world’s largest investor is beginning to prioritise firms with a long-term sustainability plan.

The time is NOW for green innovation and creative destruction, says David Bent. Businesses and investors are seemingly inclined to agree. We’re entering the era of sustainable business – are you ready?

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