I wonder how much "old Greenie" prejudice costs business and society. I can imagine some managers still saying "Nah mate, the Green Thing is what treehuggin' hippies do! Holdin' up progress!" We see this ideology versus new ideas battle every day. And boy has the definition of progress changed. Lego recently invested $500m in a wind farm as a "good long term investment" and so that they can put "wind made" on every Lego packet. Meanwhile our Victorian government is blocking wind power and hundreds of millions in wind investment has left the state.
Our government has been blustering for three years about how a Carbon Price will cost a certain print shop $2000. Hang on! A price on carbon is exactly the trigger that business needs to invest in efficiency, which will lower costs and open it's thinking to new economy ideas that will improve the business. Green inks? Sustainable papers? Water and toxin free processes? A green change of logo and marketing? These will increase market share, increase competitiveness and attract 21st century customers.
If businesses get caught out by a Carbon Price it means they have had their ideological head in the sand in the twenty years since world leaders decided carbon dioxide emissions must fall. Old and outdated ideologies are always trumped by new ideas when the new ideas are just better a better way of doing business. Just ask Kodak.
Creating a sustainable business means lower power costs, waste costs, water costs, paper costs, fleet costs and raw material costs. All of these costs are rising. It also means new market possibilities, better products and services and increased productivity.
The added bonus is that these better businesses are also looking after the planet. That amazing home that gifts us free air, water and soil and beautiful wild places.
Change takes courage, effort and creativity, but a better business is just, well, better isn't it?