Recently, Morningstar President Mary Krupa-Clark – on behalf of the Robert Bateman Get to Know Society – had the opportunity to attend the Walmart Green Business Summit in Vancouver. The Summit was, as Walmart Canada President and CEO David Cheesewright noted in a recent article, an opportunity for top executives from business, non-profit organizations and government to discuss a new “business paradigm” that has the potential to define the relationship between business and non-profits for years to come.
A central tenet of this paradigm shift is the focus on “collaboration” between the business and non-profit community in an effort to find long-lasting solutions to the challenges of a sustainable future. The resulting cross-sectoral partnership would be, as Accenture’s Director of Development Partnerships defined in a recent report, “the creation of tightly integrated, innovative coalitions between organizations from the development, private and public sectors, each applying complementary capabilities to find solutions in areas such as poverty, education and climate change.” Collaborative high-impact partnerships between the public and the private, as Cheesewright and Summit speakers such as David Suzuki emphasized, are a “must,” especially as sustainable practices and corporate social responsibility become firmly entrenched in existing business models.
What does this mean exactly? For businesses, it means properly identifying and establishing relationships with non-profit organizations that best suit their values and core principles. Cheesewright is quite right to point out that effective change must be initiated by the corporate sector, as this is obviously where the bulk of the resources are situated. That said, for the corporate sector, it is no longer just about charitable contributions, or community giving that reflects some abstract investment in the future. This new wave of partnership is about making tangible, concrete investments in goal-directed non-profits. Under the umbrella of this new investment strategy, corporations can further their own interests while providing much needed support to well-focused non-profit organizations in the community.
For non-profits and NGOs, this new business paradigm involves rethinking their approach to business, and reflecting on the essential role of corporate investment in this collaborative effort to promote and effect sustainable change. As Accenture pointed out in the same report, non-profit organizations also need to re-think much of their culture and attitudes, especially when it comes to working closely with big business. This may also require a greater focus on setting targets and producing tangible results, reinforcing a commitment to greater accountability.
Encouraging and establishing high impact, collaborative partnerships has been an essential part of Morningstar’s approach to sustainable communications for many years. The Robert Bateman Get to Know Society is a perfect example of these efforts, evident in the coming together of a number of high-profile corporations, governmental organizations and non-profit groups to encapsulate and promote the essential role young people play in establishing a more sustainable future.
In our business model, it is imperative that these different sectors understand the essential role each must play if we are to successfully work towards a greener future for all.
Morningstar has recently joined forces with Hemmera Environmental Consultants to create a unique, full-service relationship. Together we are able to offer a wide array of technical and marketing services for individuals and organizations interested in pursuing sustainable alternatives to today’s challenges. This is an ideal opportunity for renewable energy start-ups, new commercial and residential developments committed to a sustainable model, and community planners not only interested in learning about the benefits of a commitment to sustainability, but also in relaying that commitment through effective and creative messaging. The benefit to our clients is the dedication and service of two highly-regarded companies from the start of your project to the very end.
For more on this exciting partnership, consult our brochure: 
Hemmera_Morningstar_Partnership
For more information on Hemmera’s services, go to http://www.hemmera.com/.
An interesting entry from Aron Cramer, President and CEO of BSR, recently. In it, Cramer outlines how sustainable business, rather than being undermined by the recent recession, is now a fundamental part of corporate culture. The justification for this development is three-fold: the profitability of sustainable alternatives, a commitment to long-term planning within major corporations, and a shift in society’s expectations for corporations. These reasons shed light on a profound shift in thinking about sustainability: a commitment to corporate social responsibility is no longer just a responsibility, but a profitable one as well. As Cramer states, “big global challenges create big global markets.”
For everyone – from major corporations to small, start-up companies – these commitments require a profound and creative communication’s strategy, one that weaves together business principles with a dedication to a sustainable future. This is already evident in the proliferation of sustainable branding, corporate social reporting, and a commitment to the Triple Bottom Line. It is also evident in the development of partnerships and sponsorship of non-profit organizations and causes by major brands.
These are exciting developments, ones that require a shift in the usual approach to messaging regarding sustainability. It must become less about focusing on the “gloom and doom” of environmental and financial crises; rather it’s about the potential for change that arises when individuals, businesses, government and non-profits have it thrust upon them. We must make the connection between these opportunities and the benefits more pronounced, and more trustworthy. In short, we need to create an entirely new discourse, a paradigm shift towards promoting the positive benefits of altering behaviours that lead to a sustainable future.
As Cramer concludes, “sustainability has not only survived the ‘stress test’ of the recession,’ it will define the next wave of prosperity.”
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A recent report by the World Watch Institute outlined the challenges facing society today, challenges caused by the consumerist society that has developed over the past fifty years. Entitled “Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability,” the report found that if the whole world lived as we did in North America, the world’s resources could only support a world population of 1.4 Billion.
The conclusion, then, is clear: the challenge facing society is not to just find some solutions to the issue of sustainability, but to foster a broader cultural shift from consumerism to a more sustainable lifestyle. As the Report itself states, “policy alone will not be enough. A dramatic shift in the very design of human societies will be essential.”
For those in communications and marketing, this demands a new, but exciting shift to incorporate a deeper message coming from companies, non-profit groups and governmental organizations. To fully realize such a cultural shift, a proper and creative approach to the message of sustainability is imperative. The shift is already occurring, and even more so is gathering momentum. As project director Erik Assadourian says, “this shift is not only possible, it is already beginning to happen.” At Morningstar, we are committed to working hard to cultivate and disseminate this message; something we have been devoted to for the past ten years.
