The VW scandal, “green” revenue manipulation and corporate governance

by Carol A Adams For anyone interested in the subject of business ethics, these have been tantalising times. The VW emissions scandal has brought business ethics to the forefront of the global news agenda and into public consciousness. In this case up to 11 million global consumers are potentially affected by questionable practices. This is […]

Sustainability and the company of the future

By Carol A Adams  © BBVA OpenMind Introducing the company of the future The company of the future will do business differently understanding the value of its relationships and the resources and services provided by the natural environment.  It will be very different from the company of today. Above all, it will face a high […]

Organisations, people and the environment: an interview with Dr Glenn Frommer, MTR

Dr Glenn Frommer retires this year from Mass Transit Railway Corporation Ltd (MTR) based in Hong Kong as Head of Corporate Sustainability.  He is best known to many as a pioneer in sustainability reporting. With Glenn at the helm MTR has received many accolades for its sustainability efforts, including an AA rating by the RepuTex […]

The role of leadership and governance in transformational change towards sustainability

written by Carol Adams Various reasons for starting to consider social and environmental sustainability performance have been put forward to me by companies during the course of my research and advisory work. They fall into two increasingly converging camps – ‘it’s the right thing to do’ and ‘it’s good for business’. Managers who talk about […]

Incorporating sustainability into capital investment decision making: An interview with Francis Pamminger

Incorporating sustainability into capital investment decision making ensures informed decisions are made, but it is not problem free. Neither is the role of the sustainability leader.  Francis Pamminger, an engineer with 30 years’ experience in the water industry, shared his views on these and other topics with me. Francis has an extraordinary ability to bring […]

The development of leaders able to respond to climate change and sustainability challenges

This paper seeks to discuss the role of business academics and business schools in the development of leaders able to respond to climate change and sustainability challenges. The paper captures contributions made during a panel discussion at the First Academic Symposium on Leadership for Climate Change and Sustainability held at La Trobe University, Melbourne in […]

A global approach to sustainability: an interview with Ray Bremner, President & CEO Unilever Japan

Ray Bremner OBE, President of Unilever Japan, spoke with me about his personal concerns about sustainability.  He received his OBE for championing the relief efforts of foreign firms after the earthquake. His interview demonstrates what can be achieved when corporate leaders are personally committed to addressing social and environmental issues – and lead from the front. […]

Five essentials to embedding sustainability

written by Carol Adams There is no ‘one size fits all’ model when it comes to embedding sustainability. It depends on your organisation – its structure, its culture, its mission and its people. To really embed sustainability – to be an organisation which people are proud to work for and want buy from – there […]