Responsible Profit: Climate Change and the Green Economy, our third Workshop for Ethics in Business, was held in New York City on November 2, 2007. This joint Carnegie Council–RSA meeting of business and civil society leaders was co-sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton’s strategy+business magazine.
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of RSA, opened the discussion by addressing what he called the “social aspiration gap.” Society, he said, will not reach future objectives for reducing the impact of climate change without making significant shifts in the way we think and behave.
Taylor believes that the private sector is starting to step up to the plate. Businesses understand risks and therefore realize the threat climate change poses to sustainable endeavors. They also know that profit and sustainability can go hand-in-hand, and since they work globally they are already familiar with the shrinking world. Nonetheless, Taylor acknowledged several challenges that must be overcome. Richer countries will need to put national interest aside in favor of the greater global interest, and this will require coordinated action.
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Noelle dEstries
Noelle d'Estries, an early GO employee who took on the varied roles of Community Manager, green celebrity blogger, and more. She currently runs worstcookever.com GO entered Noelle's life in February 2007 while she was burning tires in her backyard. A phone call from the green gods at GO, burnt out the fires. Now, Noelle happily wears her GO sweatshirt while eating organic veggies and asking for paper, not plastic. A regular at the local farmer's market, Noelle shuns raking leaves and lawn maintenance, while making gourmet foods constantly. When not staring at her computer screen, she spends time with her equally attractive dog, Tessa, cat, Tim and lover Paul. She currently holds all three point records at RIT and could eat avocados and drink wine for the rest of her life.
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