Lessons from big business
Some lessons can be drawn from big business and the developments we are seeing within certain sectors, many of which WWF is engaged with.
In finance, banks are seeing their main impact on the planet being through their investment practices. Financing high-carbon energy projects, deforestation, and irresponsible fresh water dams come with major risks. A shift towards sustainable finance is starting to take hold and organisations are starting to focus on reducing their ‘financed footprint’.
In the power sector, the idea of selling less product and more services is being investigated. The energy services model – generating revenue from demand management instead of simply selling more and more electricity would be in the interests of both energy and climate security.
Agriculture and food production are now understood to be the areas in which our environmental footprint is most significant. Supermarkets and food producers are now grappling with complex issues to reduce impacts, particularly within dairy farming, meat production and general sourcing practices. Water shortages – exacerbated by climate change – in various parts of the world are increasingly impacting on retail supply chains and so water stewardship is high on the agenda for many food producers and retailers.
Mobility – how we all get about – is another area where the substantial projected growth in carbon emissions needs to be addressed. WWF has done a lot of work in this field and car companies are approaching us to explore business activity outside car sales to see how they can play a part in promoting sustainable mobility.