What kind of world do we want to live in? If the events of the past 12 months have presented human society with huge challenges, they have also offered each of us a historic opportunity to take stock of our lives and our direction.
From the social and economic fault-lines laid bare by the pandemic, to the ongoing struggles for equality and safety on the streets. From working lives hurriedly reshaped around video calls, home-schooling and the kitchen table. From the future of democracy and capitalism to the almost overwhelming realities of the climate emergency. Rarely in human history has there been greater urgency for us to be at our best and make positive changes for each other and our planet.
This turbulent, extraordinary year has touched every individual, but also poses huge questions to businesses. How do we recover and come back stronger in the short term? What will we do to protect and preserve our planet for our children and grandchildren? Are we ready to acknowledge our responsibility in making positive change for the society in which we operate?
Aligning the long term interests of all stakeholders from shareholders, to the planet to our employees is both the challenge and the opportunity. What businesses that do this well have shown (many of whom are fellow B Corp companies) is that this is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do – delivering strong returns for shareholders as well as operating in a responsible way.
