04/08/2024

Embracing Business Practices That Actually Improve the World

Recognize the need for system-level change

At the COP28 conference late last year, regeneration emerged as a focus for business leaders. Regenerative businesses aim to improve ecosystems and communities, rather than simply minimize harm to them. It’s no wonder it’s a hot topic — the science is screaming at us that the track we’re on is not good enough to prevent further catastrophic effects from climate change. According to the Stockholm Resilience Centre, we’ve already crossed six of the nine planetary boundaries, "processes that are critical for maintaining the stability and resilience of [the] Earth system as a whole."

We’re beyond a point where we can merely aim to do less bad. We need to actively regenerate the areas that have experienced significant degradation.

But in this rapidly expanding, philosophically attractive and still unsettled space of regenerative business, those who want to take action on regeneration are working from many definitions and approaches. How can companies, suppliers and consumers know what meaningful regeneration practice looks like and how can we collectively and fiercely protect against regeneration-washing at a time when we know some companies are talking the talk rather than walking the walk when it comes to sustainability?

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harvard Business Review.