Walking the Talk? Transitioning towards a sustainable world
Gabriel R.G. Benito, BI Norwegian Business School, Norway
Across the globe concerns escalate about the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on global climate conditions, implications on global trade from pandemics, and the destruction of ecosystems from the exploitation of limited and non-replaceable global resources. Politicians and businesses alike agree that something must be done, the question is what, how, and when? What should firms do to reduce their carbon footprint while continuing to secure jobs and profit? How can actors reduce waste and secure a better use and reapplication of resources to protect the sustainability of ecosystems, and when should firms make decisions to transform their businesses given the uncertainty of markets as well as the lack of clear guidance from global institutions? In this conference we ask: Are we walking the talk? What questions should be raised and researched to guide societies towards a sustainable economy? How can international businesses facilitate rather than impede this change?
Keywords (in alphabetical order)
Changing consumption patterns; climate change; circular economy; finite resources; frugality; global fairness; grand societal challenges; green technologies; local-global tensions; present-future tensions; sustainability; UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).