Future Here Now: Sustainability falls apart.

Do Now

This article from today’s Harvard Business Review points to the under-the-surface reasons why it’s so hard to get an organization to commit to a new priority, even when it’s something as important and touted as sustainability.

As the article notes, sustainability has been a buzzword in corporate vision statements and public relationship for more than a decade, but the majority of sustainability initiatives appear to fizzle out. Why? The article notes some common structural barriers within organizations - barriers that might look familiar to readers of The Local Economy Revolution Has Arrived and Everybody Innovates Here. A sample:

Hidden enemy #3: Culture and leadership

Established firms, founded in the 20th century, were simply not designed for sustainability, and consequently they have not developed a culture of sustainability. There are very few exceptions to this (e.g., Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company founded in 1973). This means that for the vast majority of older orga…