sustainability
‘Profit comes from the Latin word “profectus”, which means progress.
I think we need to progress away from a childish addiction to more’
sustainability since long before it became ‘fashionable’. The story is well known of the almost Pauline conversion
of its founder and chairman Ray Anderson when he read Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce, when seeking inspiration for a speech to an Interface task force on the company’s environmental vision some 14 years ago. Today Interface is nearly 50pc towards the vision of ‘Mission Zero’ – the company’s promise to eliminate any negative impact it may have on the environment by the year 2020. It has done this through the redesign of processes and
products, the pioneering of new technologies, and efforts to reduce or eliminate waste and harmful emissions while increasing the use of renewable materials and sources of energy. Anderson went on to become an unlikely screen hero in
the 2004 Canadian documentary The Corporation, and in the 2007 filmby Leonardo DiCaprio, The 11thHour.He was named one of Timemagazine’s Heroes of the Environment in 2007. Interface was represented at the summit by Lindsey Parnell, CEO and president of InterfaceFLOR in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India – a division of the US company. His respect for Anderson is palpable when we meet at the summit. “People were not convinced back then when Ray put for-
ward his sustainability vision,” says Parnell. “I think that’s probably the thing I most admire about the guy. He had this vision in 1994 and he had the determination to take his company and set it on a new path. Even in the face of
all the external pressure, shareholder pressure, Wall Street pressure, he kept his nerve, his determination and vision and pushed on through.” Parnell recognises too that the sustainability agenda will
come under pressure in countries like Ireland during the economic troubles. “But this recession will end one day, it will go away, but the problems of climate change won’t. So don’t give up, keep doing what you can do even if it’s less these days because you’ve got less resources.” Indeed, he’s quick to remind resource-strapped busi-
nesses that sustainability can be cost-effective. “You hear people asking: ‘How much does it cost?’ Well we’ve saved a huge amount of money by doing this. It’s all about using less and wasting less. We have a US$1bn turnover busi- ness.We’re not huge but in this period since about 1995/96 we’ve saved about US$400m in avoiding waste, lower energy-usage, etc. So, when people ask me: ‘How much does it cost?’, I know we’ve saved more than we’ve spent.” We’ll leave the last word to Stuart Rose. “Why should
business do this?” he asks. “Well if you look now at the world’s 100 greatest economic entities, 63 of these are cor- porations not countries. Greater power means greater expectations. “Societies and consumerswant businesses to be account-
able as institutions, strong enough to meet the huge long- term challenges facing us on our planet. Coming to grips with these is more than a corporate responsibility, it is essential to our corporate and global survival.”
Are you paying a big accountancy firm too much for your tax advice?
Marian Kenny A.I.T.I. has 37 years of experience as a professional tax consultant in all areas of tax. She specialises in providing personal tax service to plc boards for an agreed annual cost on a ‘Group Basis’. Independent advice guaranteed.
Contact: Kenny and Associates Tel: 01 284 9648 Fax: 01 284 9645
KENNY
TAX CONSULTANTS A S SOCI ATE S
& Winter 2010 Irish Director 49
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