ABSTRACT
There may well be no truly sustainable company on Earth at the moment. That may sound like a daunting statement. However, in aggregate, we are dipping into the Earth's endowment of useful resources, drawing down the capital of minerals, fuels, fertile soil, clean water, and fresh air. It is essential, therefore, not only for investors, but for mankind, that we learn how to operate within that carrying capacity, and that will require the efforts of everyone – communities, families, corporations: everyone. Being a large part of the equation, it is essential to change the behaviour of corporations. Centuries ago, no matter how powerful the corporation, it was difficult to have a truly global impact. Today, it is difficult not to. Turning on the lights, using a computer, driving a car, even eating dinner puts all of us at the end of a long supply chain that emits greenhouse gases and air pollution, spreads pesticides and persistent organic pollutants as far as the Arctic circle, and strains a freshwater system that puts nearly half the world's population at risk of serious water shortages.
