Social Entrepreneur Promotes Sustainable Lifestyles

Joe Oliver, co-director of social enterprise "We Impact," is on a mission to "develop and promote opportunities to realize sustainable lifestyles around the world through the dissemination of knowledge, cultural engagement and responsible business." Operating out of Beijing and London, the social enterprise provides innovative green solutions to make a real impact on the ground.

In some ways, "We Impact" correlates with the concept of most environmental organizations around the world. However, Oliver believes that volunteering in environmental organizations is not the only way to support the environment. With an increasing environmental consciousness in China and changing government policies, Chinese businesses are getting motivated to "go green."

This is the point where the We Impact team offers help to businesses. Oliver says: "I am not here to tell people how I think. I am here to show what is to be done. And also help people to facilitate their means to create their own stuff. At a certain level, people know what's right for them. Also in terms of traditional culture, it is embedded in there."

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Vikas is a staff writer for the Sustainable Development news and editorial section on Justmeans. He is an MBA with 20 years of managerial and entrepreneurial experience and global travel. He is the author of "The Power of Money" (Scholars, 2003), a book that presents a revolutionary monetary economic theory on poverty alleviation in the developing world. Vikas is also the official writer for an international social project for developing nations "Decisions for Life" run in collaboration between the ILO, the University of Amsterdam and the Indian Institute of Management.