LeadershipHQ Magazine 3rd Edition September Issue | Page 26
that invest in Australian shares
are typically outperforming their
mainstream counterparts by three
percentage points year on year.
We have seen a rise in a range of
environmental leadership philosophies embedded in increasingly
novel and community-welcomed
organisational initiatives, ranging
from reducing resource consumption; adoption of waste and water
reuse technologies; recycling initiatives (in particular those aligned
with community enterprise); local
food initiatives driven by ‘paddock
to plate’ philosophies; the establishment of sustainable protein
projects (promoting low-impact
alternative protein sources, such as
mushrooms) and urban agriculture
initiatives; ecolabels, eco-certifications and sustainability indexes;
through to the appointment of
Chief Sustainability Officers.
A broadcasted negative environmental or social business practice
or an environmental report listing
regulatory non-compliance now
have broader repercussions. Company leaders and Boards can no
longer afford not to demonstrate
environmental leadership and incorporate it into organisational
strategy at every level. So is environmental leadership a ‘leadership
skill for the new millennium’? I
would argue that it was a leadership skill for the last millennium
but many companies (and individuals) were slow to realise its potential and also the risk of not leading
on environmental issues. Indeed,
we still have individuals (and companies) that believe the world’s resources are endless, denounce climate change and believe that the
world’s oceans and land provide a
convenient, cheap disposal option.
Organisations need ‘green’ visionaries, leaders who are willing to redefine leadership strategies within their organisation or reshape
industry dynamics as required.
Those who will set goals, establish
and hold responsibility for measurement and reporting, and reengineer consumer/clients supply
chains and, perhaps, industry.
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