Sustainability: For Bleeding Hearts or Business Leaders? Part 2

A Leading Risk Managment Expert Has An Opinion. Interview with Ron Dembo founder of Øfootprint.

Kierstin De West of Ci: conscientious innovation, talks with
business leader and financial risk management expert Ron Dembo, on
sustainability and his new venture, Øfootprint. This is the final part of a two-part interview.

Q: What sorts of signs do you see that indicate an overall cultural and market shift to sustainability?

RD: When GE, traditionally not a “green” firm, makes eco-imagination its strategic vision, this is a sign that “green” is becoming mainstream. When 2500 large corporations voluntarily, and at great cost, produce sustainability reports, when Whole Foods is the fastest growing (only growing) large supermarket chain, when clothing companies start producing ecologically friendly (soy-based) clothing etc., then we know we have reached a tipping point. Green is becoming cool.

Q: What do you think the relationship between sustainability and innovation is?

RD: In order to move to an economy that is more suited to a finite world, where pollution is no longer an externality but is priced into the system, we will need to innovate. In order to find better ways to build low footprint buildings, we will have to innovate, and so on.

Q: Can you briefly tell me about 0footprint’s “Small Ideas That Can Change the World” and how people can participate?

This is one the most significant features that makes 0footprint
unique. Raising awareness is not enough at this critical juncture in
human history. We must commit to change. 0footprint will help people
meet this commitment. We take small ideas that can have a huge positive
impact on our footprint and transform them into challenges, basically
simple workable solutions that everyone can use day-to-day. The more
people who participate in 0footprint Challenges the more we can engage
in sustainable commerce and achieve ecological sustainability.

We believe that although there are 100 million+ people who have
tremendous goodwill towards the environment, most of these people feel
powerless to make a change in our environmental impact. “Small ideas
that can change the world” aims to change that. It is designed to make
individuals aware of the tremendous impact that a simple idea can have.
We use the word “small” to denote both simple and one that does not
make a material change to one’s quality of life.
We have designed these ideas around everyday life. Individuals that
participate become part of a large group who, by making simple changes
in their behavior, just living more ingeniously, maintain a high
quality of life but have a massive impact on the sustainability of our
system.

To participate go to www.0footprint.org
and visit our Small Ideas That Can Change the World Section. Here you
will find an inventory of Small Ideas. These Small Ideas become real
solutions that can be implemented as 0footprint Challenges. Individuals
or organization can participate in these Challenges. We provide you
with all the resources and tools you will need to do something great
for the world and future generations, learn, have fun, make money and
save money. By participating in one or more of 0footprint’s Challenges
you can affect massive change and reduce our ecological footprint and
enjoy immediate benefits.

Q: What have you identified as the 5 characteristics of a “small idea that can change the world”?

RD:

1. Simple: The idea should be simple to describe.
2. Reproducible:  If the idea works for one instance it should be replicable to another with little or no modification.
3. Scaleable: As the idea is applied in more and more instances the
   relative cost of administering it should not change or should increase
   slowly.
4. Correct Incentives: The incentive structure should be well
   matched to the task. All participants should have some positive reward
   from participating. It should be a win-win-win situation.
5. Impact: If successful, the idea should have a very significant
   impact on reducing our ecological footprint and should foster
   sustainable commerce.

Q: How did you become involved in sustainability?

RD: I have always been an outdoors person and spent many happy days
in game parks as a child, where sustainability of the animal population
was always a concern. When I sold Algorithmics, after an intense 15
years building a great company I decided to devote myself to what I was
most passionate about. I am a firm believer in the power of individuals
to affect massive change. 0footprint is built around a self-sustaining
business model that is developed on “small ideas that can change the
world”, that is, without changing our lifestyle or quality of life in
any material way, we can make massive change as a group by just living
more ingeniously.

Q: Essential reading list?

RD: Paul Hawken, The Ecology of Commerce. Although this book was
written over 10 years ago, it speaks for today. It speaks to the
urgency of doing something significant now. Net – net we have not
improved the world much since Paul first wrote his book.

Jared Diamond, Collapse and Guns, Germs and Steel. A very detailed
analysis of what could happen to us if we do not get our act together.

Tim Flannery, The Weather Makers. This book will be released in
March 2006. Look out for it. It is a very contemporary view of the
state of the world. Like 0footprint however, it approaches
sustainability from a positive point of view. I.E. we are going to make
a difference.

Amory Lovins, Hunter Lovins and Paul Hawken, Natural Capitalism.

Michael Braungart and William McDonough, Cradle to Cradle.

0footprint’s ZFP Stories of Sustainability and 0footprint’s
Zeropages - a guide to global sustainability, environmental awareness,
and green business activity, where you can find information on green
products, trends and initiatives. At www.0footprint.org.

www.0footprint.org