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New Publication Describes How Organizations Can Address the Most Important Sustainability Challenge "“ System Change
New Publication Describes How Organizations Can Address the Most Important Sustainability Challenge "“ System Change
Published 01-23-07
Submitted by Global System Change
An article by Frank Dixon, called Sustainable Systems Implementation: Building a Sustainable Economy and Society, describes a business-led, collaborative approach that addresses the most complex and important challenge facing business and society (system change) in a practical and profit-enhancing manner.
SSI is being implemented by Gazeley Ltd, an independently operated Wal-Mart subsidiary based in the UK. Gazeley is a global real estate developer and sustainability pioneer that provides environmentally-superior distribution warehouses to Wal-Mart and many other clients around the world.
The article describes how economic and political systems unintentionally compel all firms to operate in an irresponsible and unsustainable manner. Various system flaws described in the article constitute the primary drivers of declining environmental and social conditions. To achieve sustainability, human systems must be improved. System change is the most important sustainability issue because sustainability is not possible without it.
Traditional corporate responsibility approaches focus mainly on corporate level activities. Yet probably eighty percent or more of the unsustainability problem resides at the system level. Many good system change programs have been developed. But most have low implementation rates.
The SSI approach brings together leaders with the power to drive system change along with system change experts. The goal is to drive good system improvement ideas to far higher levels of implementation.
Evolving human systems into sustainable forms is the most complex challenge facing business and society, in part because it requires systems thinking and collaboration. Principles laid out in the article describe how the SSI approach facilitates both as well as helps to effectively address systemic barriers to sustainability.
SSI is based on the principle of simultaneous success. The approach enables companies to improve financial and competitive performance in existing systems while simultaneously working with others on system improvements that build a sustainable economy and society.
The SSI article and related papers can be downloaded at www.globalsystemchange.com.
About Global System Change:
GSC was established by Frank Dixon to help businesses and other organizations effectively address systemic issues that drive growing problems for business and cause society to be unsustainable. Through SSITM and other processes, GSC helps organizations implement practical, collaborative, profit-enhancing system change strategies. Prior to GSC, Frank Dixon oversaw the sustainability analysis of more than 2,000 firms as the Managing Director of Research at Innovest Strategic Value Advisors. He has an MBA from the Harvard Business School and is currently advising Wal-Mart, Gazeley and other firms on sustainability.
