Schneider Electric's Business Case for One-planet Prosperity
Below is an excerpt from Schneider Electric's report "The Business Case for One-planet Prosperity", available for download here.
By July 29, 2019, humanity’s demand for nature will exceed what Earth’s ecosystems can replenish during the entire year. It is Earth Overshoot Day and the 2019 date is the earliest ever. Since overuse is only possible for a limited duration in time, human demand on nature will be brought in balance with what Earth can provide – the question is whether this happens by design or disaster.
The good news is that the current trend can be reversed. In fact, not only is ‘one-planet compatibility’ within reach, but it is the strategic compass that can guide businesses to their own long-term success. The business case for one-planet compatibility strategies is clear: expanding markets fueled by increased customer expectations for transparency and traceability; reduced exposure to shrinking ecological resources with volatile flows and prices; optimized chances at securing long-term value of assets
and financing.
The pressure is intensifying as resource imbalance increases, while markets and brand reputation can shift (nearly) overnight. As Millennials grow their influence in the consumer base and are entering the workforce in larger numbers, expectations from civil society shifts towards a clearer sense of purpose and accountability.
For the last two years, Schneider Electric has been working with Global Footprint Network to gauge its activities against one-planet
compatibility using Ecological Footprint accounting. This simple yet impactful approach provides businesses with a critical metric to
answer this strategic question: “Are my products and services aligned with moving customers and humanity out of ecological overshoot?”
With this report, Global Footprint Network and Schneider Electric are joining forces to invite other businesses from across sectors to assess their strategies against a ‘one-planet compatibility’ framework, and evaluate what impact they make to #MoveTheDate. Moving out of ecological overshoot calls for the kind of creativity, ingenuity, and drive that can only be unleashed through a new type of collaborative conversation between players. Here’s to getting the conversation started.
