A New Beginning

One of the major things marking humans out from other species is our ability to manipulate the resources around us in order to produce and manufacture on a remarkable scale. This is, as we know, an increasingly global affair, as are the associated consequences. 

The industrial revolution not only saw the rise of large manufacturing hubs designed for the mass production of specialised goods, but also of extensive transportation networks tasked with distributing these goods across the globe. Both of these developments had serious environmental repercussions – increased resource consumption, air pollution, habitat destruction – the list is extensive. In fact that list has continued to grow steadily since the mid-1700s. So it is safe to say that industrial activity has an awful lot to answer for in terms of contributing to global environmental change. Thus, if we are to tackle it effectively, what better place to start than with multinational companies and global industrial giants?

Sustainable development is not a new concept by any means; in fact I am sure we are all familiar with the notion of meeting production needs whilst simultaneously preserving the environment that facilitates that production. However, actually implementing that concept has often been a far greater challenge than devising the technology to make it possible.  

Johan Rockström, working with a group of scientists at the Stockholm ResilienceCentre, outlines a framework formulated as a set of ‘Planetary Boundaries’, which define a ‘safe operating space for humanity’. Including elements such as Biodiversity Loss, Ocean Acidification and Land Use, the work presents the Earth’s current levels of each variable on a scale in relation to a ‘critical point’, beyond which we are operating in unsafe territory.

This blog will explore the potential for pursuing an agenda of sustainable development using Planetary Boundaries as a framework to implement it. It will take the stance that industries are the crucial starting point for change and in doing so, cover the ways Multinational Companies can adapt, reap benefits and kick-start an Industrial Evolution.