Sustainability Beyond Rhetoric

Having grown up in a city with a reputation for being less than sustainable I was interested in learning what all the hype was about. My education at UBC has afforded me the opportunity to take a number of courses focused on sustainability in business practices and since taking these courses my idea of why these practices made sense was broadened considerably.

 Part of the reason I chose UBC was their reputation for integrating ideas of social and environmental responsibility into their MBA program. When my thirst wasn’t quenched by what I learned in my first semester I decided to baulk up my knowledge with more courses on the topic. Prior to this I appreciated the role of sustainable and responsible practices in business because they often resulted in innovation, in beautiful things and unique creations from materials seldom used elsewhere. I will admit I was somewhat enticed by the rhetoric. I saw words like organic and fair trade and was drawn to an ideal I didn’t fully understand. Going through my class work, discussions, and listening to my professors I was able to see that sustainability is truly a much more complex creature than I had imagined. The concepts of green washing, of CSR, of broad social and environmental boundaries were all relatively new to me and have shone a light on how I view their relationship with businesses. It has become clear that there is an expectation for businesses to be in touch with sustainability, to what extent is a grey area and much seems to be based in the rhetoric that is emerging. Going forward this isn’t going to be enough. While currently it may be enough to claim CSR practices, in the future customers will demand those practices to be more than just words and be put into action across the board in a meaningful way.

My journey hasn’t ended there, being part of Net Impact has afforded me the chance to be part of stimulating discussions and to grow my understanding of what sustainability means and how it is being applied to businesses now and how it will be going forward. I am excited for this to continue and for the upcoming conference! Check it out at www.ubcnetimpact.org

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