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Facing climate change and the exhaustion of resources: a crucial element

Climate change, biodiversity, exhaustion of resources and the increase in inequalities are the key catalysts for the adoption of effective and sustainable change practices.
D’après le Groupe intergouvernemental sur l’évolution du climat, si nous ne changeons pas radicalement notre façon de consommer et de produire, les températures mondiales pourraient augmenter d’au moins cinq degrés d’ici la fin du siècle.The physical and human consequences would then be completely dramatic.

The year 2019 considered a turning point

Tackling climate change and developing low carbon emissions strategies becomes a priority for many business leaders: more and more companies sign science-base Targets and actively invest in the Paris Agreement.

Joe Romm, climate expert, said: "Climate change and the response that we will deeply change the world for the next 25 years, in the same way that the Internet has done in the past 25 years".If adapting to the Internet has forced companies to transform their traditional business models to online sales, climate change forces organizations to rethink their main strategies and objectives.

The fight against climate change goes hand in hand with the preservation of resources.We can take the example of an interface, world leader in floor coverings.When CEO Ray Anderson realized the negative impact of his business on the environment, he decided to restructure the supply and production process, to become a regenerative company with net impact.Among other initiatives, this has developed a new circular business model.Carpet squares now allow customers to replace only worn parts instead of buying a fully new coating.Above all, they only buy the quantity they need;and interface always takes care of the maintenance and recycling of damaged parts.

Faire face au changement climatique et à l’épuisement des ressources : un élément crucial

The transformation is not done in one day.It is essential to mobilize the collective intelligence of the company to redefine its vision and its objective, aligning strategies, governance, organization, systems and processes between them.

It is imperative to take care of our ecosystem if we want companies to remain prosperous and sustainable S in the long term."This is why training plays such a fundamental role: we must help current and future business leaders to understand and anticipate the trends of today and tomorrow in all their complexity, with all their interconnections,so that they rethink the way they manage a business.

Make the inclusive saving an acceleration lever for sustainable change

Some companies have experienced inclusive business models since the 2000s.Unilever, for example, launched initiatives "from the base" in India, selling individual sachets of shampoo and small soaps.Achieving this type of economic inclusion means, however, allow everyone to participate in economic life and value creation, and to take advantage of it fairly.

"Organizations today realize that inclusive models generate intangible assets such as reputation, the feeling of having an objective, the motivation of the employees and the capacity for innovation.They also facilitate business transformation and allow them to become more sustainable and improve their competitiveness ".

Training the business community is essential.

Social responsibility is not only to raise awareness, it is also a question of developing the awareness of businesses on their impact.These challenges can be considered as constraints or opportunities to innovate and develop more inclusive and sustainable economic practices.

Article écrit par Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot, professeur affiliée de Stratégie et Directrice Executive de l’Institut S&O à HEC Paris, issu du livre blanc « L’avis des experts : comment rendre le changement efficace et durable sur le long terme ».

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