� Visitusatwww.ins+tuteforsustainableleadership.com1

NEWSLETTER

Fromtheeditor’sdeskIrecentlyopenedatwi9eraccount(followuson@honeybeeleaders)andhaveuncoveredawholenewworld.MuchofthediscussionIcurrentlyfollowisabouttheUnitedNa+on’sSustainableDevelopmentGoals-fromasurprisingsource:theleadersofbigcorpora+ons.Yes,bigbusinesshasdiscoveredthatpursuingtheSDGsisgoodforbusiness,openingnewmarketsandopportuni+es.ThisissuefocusesontheSDGs,par+cularlyinrela+ontobusiness.Honeybeefirmshavealwayslookedbeyondtheirownboundariesdevelopingtheirstrategies.

GayleAvery

INSIDE…SufficiencyThinkingProgram

Livingcases

Cri+calviewsontheSDGsWhatacademicswriteabouttheSDGs

Business,Twi9erandtheSDGs

BooklaunchinSydney Hearmoreaboutourresearch

AtISL,thehoneybeesymbolisessustainable

leadershipthroughcollabora9ve,construc9ve

prac9ces,whichthecommunityvalues,

whileachievinghighperformance.Photo:

HarryBergsteiner

Lastyear,theUnitedNa+onsintroduced17SustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)toreplacetheeightMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs)setattheturnofthiscentury.AccordingtothethenSecretary-General,BanKi-moon,theMDGshadachievedmixedsuccessoverthe15yearstheywereinforce.Yes,theMDGshelpedliYmorethanonebillionpeopleoutofextremepoverty,madeinroadsagainsthunger,enabledmanymoregirlstoa9endschool,begantoprotecttheplanet,andforgedvaluablepartnershipsinthestruggletoimprovetheworld.However,muchmoreneededtobedonetoreduceinequalityonmanyfronts.

Tothisend,17SDGswereadoptedfortheperiod2016-2030.Toeffectthisnewagenda,theUNrecognisedthatitneededtorelyonmorethanjustgovernments.Itneededbusinesstooforfindinginnova+vesolu+onsandfundingthees+mated$4.5trillionperyearcostofachievingtheSDGs.Beyondthat,businesscanassistinthecomplexprocessofsocialandeconomicdevelopment-andreapmanyrewardsfromit.Andbusinesshasrespondedenthusias+cally.AccordingtoaPWCsurveyinlate2016,71%ofbusinessessurveyedsaidtheywereplanninghowtogetinvolvedwiththeSDGs.About41%saidtheywouldembedthe

SDGsintotheirstrategyoverthenextfiveyears,and13%claimedtohavealreadyiden+fiedthetoolstheyneededtoassesstheirimpactagainsttheSDGs.Manyofthesecompaniesandrelatedorganisa+ons,suchastheWorldBusinessCouncilforSustainableDevelopment,seeenormousopportuni+esbeckoningattheso-called“bo9omofthepyramid”(BOP)withitshiddenmarketofabout4.5billionpeople.Thesepeople,thoughindividuallypoor,spendUS$2.3trilliononfoodandbeverageeachyear.Withbusinessonboardinimplemen+ngtheSDGs,theworldcouldbecomeabe9erplace.

SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENTGOALSWHYSHOULDBUSINESSGETINVOLVED?

ISLNEW

SLETTERMarch,2017

� Visitusatwww.ins+tuteforsustainableleadership.com2

AtAmphawaCulturalConserva9onProject:LeD:HarryBergsteiner&GayleAveryfromISLposewithDirectorKhunyingSrichalermKanjanapoobeforeseeingtherevivedcoconutsugarprocessing.Below:DrPriyanutDharmapiyaisshowntradi9onalhatweavingbyarareexpert.

SUFFICIENCYTHINKINGINSUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT(STiSD)OURSUCCESSFULTRIALRUN

ISLNEW

SLETTERMarch,2017

Realprojects,calledlivingcases,areanintegralpartoftheSTiSDprogram.Thelivingcaseswereselectedtocoverthefourkeydomainswhereoutputsaremeasuredinsufficiencythinking:economic,environmental,socialandcultural:AmphawaConserva+onProject–Culturalconserva+on+communitydevelopment,organicfarming.LaemPhakBiaRoyalProject–Environmentalconserva+on-restoringmangrovesandseaecology,recyclingwasteand

sewageforalocaltownof40,000peopleusingsimpletechnology.SampranRiversideResort–illustra+ngbusiness-drivenagriculture+communitydevelopment.Thiscaseispar+cularly

interes+ngbecauseitwasini+atedbytheprivatesector.SufficiencyschoolIni+a+ve–Educa+onforsufficiencyintroducedto23,000ofthe40,000schoolsinThailand.TheptarinHospital–Ahealthentrepreneurusedsufficiencythinkingtochallengethesystemanddevelopaninterna+onally

acclaimeddiabeteshospital.SiamCementGroup–Anexampleoflarge,publicly-listedcorpora+onfollowingsufficiencyprinciples.

ISLisdelightedtohavebeenaskedtodesigntheSufficiencyThinkinginSustainableDevelopment(STiSD)programthatThailandisofferingtoG77countriesthisMay.SufficiencythinkingunderpinsasustainabilityapproachdevelopedbyThailand’slateKingBhumibolAdulyadej,knownastheSufficiencyEconomyPhilosophy(SEP).TheSEPhaswideapplicability-fromagriculturetocommunitydevelopment,environmentalmanagement,health,educa+onandbusiness.During2016,ThailandchairedtheUnitedNa+ons’G77,whose134membercountriescomefromthedevelopingworldandincludeIndiaandChina.G77delegatesdisplayedgreatinterestinlearningmoreabouttheSEPattheseearliermee+ngs.InauguralprogramTheinauguralSTiSDprogramwillbeheldinaneco-culturalresortoutsideBangkokcalledtheSampranRiversideResort,between14-19May.TheprogramcontenthasbeencarefullycraYedtofocusontheprac+calaspectsofsufficiencythinkingoncesufficiencyconceptshavebeenexplained.Par+cipantswillbeencouragedtoapplytheirlearningsfirsttofivesuccessfulThaiprojectswheretheywillmeetanddiscusswiththeleadersofthoselivingcases.Themescoveredinclude:organicfarmingandmarke+ng,communitydevelopment,culturalconserva+on,environmentalmanagementandbusiness.Inaddi+on,delegateswillseehowThailandisreformingitsen+reschoolsystemtopromotesustainablethinkinginstudents,teachersandschooladministrators.TheywillalsolearnaboutapplyingtheSEPinahospitalsemng.Duringtheprogram,par+cipantswillbehelpedtoapplysufficiencythinkingtoasuitableprojectintheirhomecountry.TrialrunISLhasjustreturnedfromconduc+ngatrialrunoftheprogram.Duringthetrialrunweheldatrainingsessionforallspeakersandprojectdirectorstoensurethateveryoneisfamiliarwiththeprogramaimsandmethods,aswellaswiththeSEPprocessandconcepts.Afunpartwasvisi+ngthetrainingvenueanddiscussinghowtoinvolvetradi+onalThaiculturaleventslikeswordfigh+ng,bamboodancingandcumngfruitintoflowersasenergyrevivingbreaksforpar+cipants.Andofcoursewevisitedtheinspiringprojectsandmetwiththeirdirectors.

OurpartnersOnceagainISLisdelightedtobecoopera+ngwiththeThailandSustainableDevelopmentFounda+onandCollegeofManagementatMahidolUniversity,aswellaswiththeThaiMinistryofForeignAffairsviatheThailandInterna+onalCoopera+onAgency.Weareverythankfultotheirrepresenta+vesandtotheprojectdirectors,whohaveallexpressedsomuchenthusiasmfortheprogram.ScholarshipsAspartofitslegacy,Thailandisofferingscholarshipsforupto20representa+vesoftheG77countriestoa9endthefirstsix-dayprogram.

LIVINGCASESINSTIDPROGRAM

� Visitusatwww.ins+tuteforsustainableleadership.com3

CRITICALVIEWSONSDGsINAGENDA2030TOOBROAD,TOOCOMPLEX,TOOCONTRADICTORY

WHATACADEMICSWRITEBUSINESSANDTHESDGs

Abstractsfromar+clesonbusinessgemnginvolvedwiththeSDGsandsustainabledevelopment(SD)arelistedbelow.

DoesbusinessunderstandwhatSDisabout?

Variousauthorsques+ontheadequacyofdefini+onsofSDputforward,includingsomecontradictoryones,complica+ngbusiness’understandingofhowtoproceedwithSDGs.Forexample,RalfBarkemeyerexaminestowhatextentBrundtland’soriginalSDprinciplesares+llembeddedwithinkeybusinessguidelinesliketheUNGlobalCompact,OECDGuidelinesforMul+na+onalEnterprises,ICCBusinessCharter,CAUXPrinciples,andtheCERESPrinciples.FindingssuggestthattheseguidelinesforbusinessemphasisetheenvironmentaloversocialaspectsofSD,andfailtopriori+setheneedsofthepoorest.A9en+ontoenvironmentalaspectsstresseswin–winsitua+onsandhasaclearmanagerialistfocus;givingli9lea9en+ontomoreconceptualenvironmentalissuesconcerningsystemsinterdependencies,cri+calthresholdsorsystemiclimitstogrowth.Formoredetailsee:R.Barkemeyer,D.Holt,L.Preuss&S.Tsang.2014.Whathappenedtothe‘development’insustainabledevelopment?BusinessguidelinestwodecadesaYerBrundtland.SustainableDevelopment,22(1),15-32.

PrioriZesmustbeset

FrancescaPongiglionesaysthatbusinessesandothersmustfocusprimarilyongoalsthat,alongwithbeingendsinthemselves,alsoserveasmeansforachievingotherobjec+ves–makingthemselvesofinstrumentalvalue.Moredetailisat:

F.Pongiglione.2015.TheneedforaprioritystructurefortheSDGs.JournalofGlobalEthics,11(1),37-42.

Equalrolefortheprivatesector

Scheyvensetal.discussthechallengesthatSDGsposetobusiness.Theseincludethepoten+alformoresustainableandresponsibleprac+cesaswellasthelimitstochange.TheprivatesectorbringsstrengthsindeliveringontheSDGs,suchasinnova+on,responsiveness,efficiencyandspecificskillsandresources.Readmoreat:

R.Scheyvens,G.Banks&E.Hughes.2016.TheprivatesectorandtheSDGs:Theneedtomovebeyond‘businessasusual’.SustainableDevelopment,24(6),371–382.

Needforanawareworkforce

SustainableDevelopmentGoalswillguidetheglobaldevelopmentagendaforthecomingyears.Underthispremise,theseacademicsexploretherolethathighereduca+on(HE)hasbeenassignedincontribu+ngtosustainablehumandevelopment.ItconcludesthatthevisionofHEofferedistoonarrowandisunabletocapturetheessenceandfullmeaningofsustainablehumandevelopment.Movingawayfromproblema+cindicatorsandthresholdsthatunderstandHEasaproducerofhumancapital,theauthorsproposeplacingtheconceptofhumandevelopmentatthecentreofHE.Inpar+cular,thear+clearguesthatitsmainelements(itsnorma+veapproach,theideaofcapability,func+oningandagency)canprovideavaluableandsoundfoo+ngforamoretransforma+veins+tu+on.Readfurtherat:

A.Boni,A.Lopez-Fogues&M.Walker.2016.Highereduca+onandthepost-2015agenda:Acontribu+onfromthehumandevelopmentapproach.JournalofGlobalEthics,12(1),17-28.

While theUN’SSDGshavebeenwidelywelcomed,someexpertsarecau+oningagainsttoomucheuphoria.Omissions+tooslowDrGabriele Koehler acknowledges thattheprocessfollowedinestablishingtheAgenda2030, itsaimof transforma+onand the marriage of economic, socialandenvironmentalgoalsareimpressive.However, she ques+ons just howtransforma+ve the actual goals are.Koehler iden+fies numerous omissionsand clashes, but is par+cularlydistressedbythe+meline.Shesaysthatthe 15 year +meline means that “yetanothergenera+onistogrowupbeforeacute poverty or hunger is eradicated,maternal or child mortality reduced toa n y m e a n i n g f u l d e g r e e , o renvironmental destruc+on reversed” p.3).Koehler laments that the social and

environmentaldomainsshouldoverrideeconomic considera+ons, but do not.Finally, she concludes with a call forinjec+ng radical thinking and ac+on foreconomic, environmental and socialjus+ce subversively into the SDGs.Makethemwork!ToocomplexAnotheravenueofcri+cismcomesfromgroupssuchastheCopenhagenConsensuswhoarguethatitwouldbebe9ertoworksmarter.Insteadofchasingall169targetssetunderthe17goals,theSDGswouldhavemorechanceofsuccessiftheUNfocusedonfewertargets.AnexpertgroupassociatedwiththeCopenhagenConsensusconcludedthatiftheUNweretoconcentrate“on19toptargets,itcouldget$20to$40insocialbenefitsperdollarspent”.Thiscontrastswith

alloca+ngthebudgetevenlyacrossall169targets,whichwouldreducethees+matedreturnperdollarspenttounder$10.Simplify!SDGsarecontradictoryOtherspointoutthattheSDG’sstrategyfordevelopmentreliesonendlessGDPgrowthtoraisethestandardoflivingofthepoor,whereastheworldneedslessgrowthtobesustainable.TheSDGsarebasedonachievingmorethan7%annualgrowthinleastdevelopedcountriesandhighereconomicproduc+vityacrosstheboard.Infact,Goal8,isdevoteden+relytopromo+nggrowth.See:Koehler,G.2016.AssessingtheSDGsfromthestandpointofecosocialpolicy:UsingtheSDGssubversively.JournalofInterna9onal&Compara9veSocialPolicy,h9p://dx.doi.org/0.1080/21699763.2016.1198715.

ISLNEW

SLETTERMarch,2017

� Visitusatwww.ins+tuteforsustainableleadership.com4

BeforeDonaldTrumpbroughtTwi9ertoeveryone’sa9en+on,leadersofbigbusinesswerealreadytwee+ngabouttheneedtoimprovetheworldand,inpar+cular,howtobindtheUnitedNa+ons’SustainableDevelopmentGoalsintoafirm’sstrategyanddailybusiness.TheWorldBusinessCouncilonSustainableDevelopmentsuggeststhatdoingsocouldevenhelprestoretrustinthebusinesssector(seereport).

TheBTeamisoneexample,anot-for-profitini+a+veformedbyglobalbusinessleaderstoencourageabe9erwayofdoingbusinessforpeopleandtheplanet.BTeammembersincludecorpora+onssuchasAllianz,DowChemicals,HuffingtonPost,Salesforce,Tata,Unilever,labourunionsandmanyothergroups.Co-foundedbyRichardBransonandJochenZeitz,theBTeamhasfocusedonmul+pleissues,includingrenewableenergy.TheBTeamregularlyheraldsthecertaindeathoffossilfuel-basedenergy:”Almost90%ofnewpowerinEuropewasfromrenewablesourcesin2016,asignofrapidshiYawayfromfossilfuels".Theyofferthreereasonswhycleanenergywillbeunstoppablein2017,andremindusthattosecureasustainablefutureforall,weneedearth-competentboards.

Businesshasexper+sethatcanbeusedforfinancingtheSDGs.AccordingtotheBTeam,mee+ngtheSDGswillcostbetween$90trillion&$120trillionby2030-crea+nghugeopportuni+esforfinancialservices.

InvestorgroupAbraajisamajorpar+cipant,no+ngthatthereareonly13yearstogotoachievethe

GlobalGoalsandexplainingwhythe+meisnow.

UnileverispursuingSDGsonmul+plestrategicfronts,notonlyintermsofitsproducts.Forexample,PresidentPaulPohlmanpointsoutthatlongtermmarketswouldnotonlymakefinancialsensebutareessen+alforsolvingtoday’sbigproblems.TheBTeamjoinsinthisthemebyrepor+ngMcKinsey’sreportonhowbusinessleaderscanbuildanallianceagainstcorporateshort-termism.

GenderequalityisanotherSDG.AstheAustralianCEOofKonicaMinoltatweeted:Researchshowslinkbetweengenderequality&be9erorganisa+onalperformance,thebusinesscasecanbefoundhere.TheWorldBusinessCouncilonSustainableDevelopmentislookingatthesustainabilityoffood:WBCSDandEATbringmorethan25companiestogetherinsustainablefoodprogram.

Butothercompaniesaredoingtheirpartaswell.Airbnbismobilisingitshoststoprovidetemporaryhousingforrefugeesandothersinurgentneed.Agroupofcorpora+onshassetup

theBusinessCommission,chairedbyUnilever’sPaulPohlman.TheBusinessCommission’smissionis:“tomakeapowerfulcase—supportedbysoundevidence,rigorousresearchandcompellingreal-worldexamples—forwhybusinessleadersshouldseizeuponsustainabledevelopmentasthegreatestopportunityofalife+me.”

HEARMOREABOUTISL’sRESEARCHMACQUARIEUNIVERSITYINTERVIEWSGAYLEAVERYGayleAverywasinterviewedaspartofMacquarieUniversity’sPioneeringMindspodcastseries.Youcanaccessthepodcasthere.Gayletalksabouttheconceptsbehindsustainableleadership,andsomeoftheworkthatISLhasbeendoinginThailandontheSufficiencyEconomyPhilosophy.

BUSINESS,TWITTERANDTHESDGsBIGBUSINESSISCHANGING-FAST

ISLNEW

SLETTERMarch,2017

BOOKLAUNCHSUFFICIENCYTHINKINGTOBELAUNCHEDATMACQUARIEUNIVERSITY

ISLisdelightedtoannouncethatitslatestbook,SufficiencyThinking:Thailand’sGiDtoanUnsustainableWorld(Allen&Unwin,2016)istobeofficiallylaunchedatMacquarieUniversityon28March.,togetherwiththeThaiConsulate-GeneralinSydney.

Gayle C. AveryHarald Bergsteiner

Thailand’s gift to an unsustainable world