INSIGHT: Who Cares (and About What)?

Influence Parameters
The client wants metrics. The request for insight into the potential impact of their efforts isn’t unreasonable. The influence they hope this information will have might be. Assuming that people will, and should, share our concerns is one of the biggest misjudgments we’ve made with sustainability pursuits. Our challenge is to connect issues like waste reduction, renewable energy generation, and reductions in carbon emissions to traditional priorities, and to couch this in a compelling vision for the future. But even that won't be enough if we haven’t set aside our agenda long enough to form trusting relationships, and access power. Admirable recent efforts, such as those around passing the IL Clean Jobs Bill, indicate some have learned the lesson. Others, however, are still asserting an incomplete package of passion and operational data in hopes of securing greater influence and resources. Until an unequivocally climate-related impact occurs, which would potentially change everything, diplomacy, vision, relationships and relevant metrics will all be required to successfully assert the advantage of a triple bottom line perspective in a single bottom line world.