Where, when and how do you engage in the climate negotiations?

As business representative you may have decided to attend the climate convention conference in Paris from 30 November to 11 December 2015. In formal UN-speak it is the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It includes a Meeting of the Parties (MOP) which is the term […]

Tragedy of the Commons: tragically common

Despite clear business case examples and regulatory reforms being so obviously required, the “tragedy of the commons” as described by Garrett Hardin in his 1968 paper* seems to repeat itself daily in many ways, in many sectors. Take the case of nutrient overload and the agrifood value chain. Debates about the “clean green” image of […]

Lessons from Nelson Mandela for business leadership

Golf Course

Enterprise 21st century has a vacancy: visionary leadership. As we celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela this week, media reports are full of stories from people of all walks of life about how Madiba, in person and image, inspired them. And while his life was overly politicized, beyond his choice, it is worth considering what […]

Africa’s Mineral Wealth: Curse or Blessing?

Interviewed on CNBC on the outcomes of the Mining Lekgotla held in Johannesburg last week, the deputy chief executive of the South African Chamber of Mines acknowledged that his industry still has much to learn in how it manages its employees and works with local communities. This was a bold statement from the executive of […]

Sign of the times: ESG Products & Services

Recent banking scandals have raised interest in corporate governance and organisational culture as make-or-break features of what makes a responsible financial institution. These can also be found in a longer list of sustainability expectations of financial institutions that have crystallised over the last two decades. In my work with Incite we have identified the ten […]

We Want Green Jobs

When Apple launched the iPhone 5 this month, one message was clear: “Leaner and Smarter”. This is a motto that excites many in Government today, amidst attempts to speed up economic recovery and design ways towards leaner and smarter economies. Governments world-wide are under severe pressure to create jobs (the likes of Steve and others), […]

Rio and the Future of Corporate Reporting

While least common denominator agreements from the Rio+20 conference may not have been as bullish as many hoped for, the event among others served to raise the profile of calls for “Report / Comply / Apply or Explain / Else” approaches to sustainability and integrated reporting. The fact that negotiations addressed both more mandatory approaches […]