Dialogues on Sustainability, Leadership and Resilience
Addressing root causes of global challenges - Tällberg Foundation
Hello,
Time runs fast, and we are now a few weeks down the line after the Tällberg Forum 2009. We who were there have now had the time to reflect on important meetings, experiences and insights created. It continues to be a learning journey for all of us. 480 selected leaders from 80 countries, representing governments, business, academia, NGO’s engaged in dialogues regarding our most pressing global issues. The environment is surreal. The program is very open-ended. And magic starts to happen. The diversity of people, opinions and knowledge creates the fertile ground for new thinking and actions.
This year, some of the questions in focus were environmental degradation, including climate change, global inequality as well as growing youth unemployment in the global financial crisis. The forum went from creating a broad understanding of the issues and how they are interconnected, to solutions and concrete actions. Leaders from 80 nations were represented.
The forum is hard to describe in words. I would recommend you to take a look at http://www.tallbergfoundation.org were a lot of material from the forum are collected.
The unavoidable main conclusion: we are in a state of planetary crisis.
It is time to stop pretending that it will go away like a bad dream if we think of something else. It won’t. The financial crisis is only the icing on the cake. Despite our efforts, climate change is accelerating and going faster than experts have predicted (currently on a path towards 6 degrees temperature rise this century). Large portions of human settlements are rapidly losing access to fresh water due to diminishing glaciers and the warming climate (more than a billion people may be without fresh water in Asia 2050 according to the IPCC with current trends) . The breakdown of ecosystems is also accelerating, due to overexploitation, with disastrous consequences on fish stocks, deforestation, extinction of species required for a stable world and our own food production (we now have, for the first time, more than a billion starving people in the world and the curve is pointing dramatically upwards since 10 years). Natural resources are running out while the garbage dumps and slums are expanding, and poisoning land and water on the way. Political tension over land and resources is increasing. Conflicts will follow, as well as refugee streams of unprecedented scale.
Many good things are being made to address the issues. Organisations and individuals are increasingly taking on greater commitments and contribute with positive initatives. This is a fact, but unfortunately it is not enough.
What we have to face is that what is currently being done by governments, companies, NGO’s and people everywhere is not leading where we want. Not even close, if we want to maintain a planet pleasant to live on. The reason is twofold; firstly, because we are simply not doing enough, but secondly, and more importantly, because we are doing the wrong things. Our priorities are very schewed towards tangible projects with visible results. Typically, this means that we address symptoms rather than reasons. When the patient’s temperature reaches 41 we desperately need to try to lower the fever. Lowering the fever is necessary, but not the same as curing the disease.
WHAT is going in the wrong direction around the world is more focused but less important than WHY. We have a number of severe systems issues that will continue to drive us into accelerating global problems concerning environment, resources, food and living conditions until we fix them.
The transformations ahead will involve every organization. The changes to come are very fundamental and will change the playing field for business and governments everywhere. We invite you to be part of this dialogue. We need your help, and we may also support you in finding your organisations direction for the future. We are looking for organizations and individuals that wish to engage, but also for knowledge partners and investors for different projects.
If these are questions that concern you, please let me know, and we can discuss what we can do together.
Time runs fast, and we are now a few weeks down the line after the Tällberg Forum 2009. We who were there have now had the time to reflect on important meetings, experiences and insights created. It continues to be a learning journey for all of us. 480 selected leaders from 80 countries, representing governments, business, academia, NGO’s engaged in dialogues regarding our most pressing global issues. The environment is surreal. The program is very open-ended. And magic starts to happen. The diversity of people, opinions and knowledge creates the fertile ground for new thinking and actions.
This year, some of the questions in focus were environmental degradation, including climate change, global inequality as well as growing youth unemployment in the global financial crisis. The forum went from creating a broad understanding of the issues and how they are interconnected, to solutions and concrete actions. Leaders from 80 nations were represented.
The forum is hard to describe in words. I would recommend you to take a look at http://www.tallbergfoundation.org were a lot of material from the forum are collected.
The unavoidable main conclusion: we are in a state of planetary crisis.
It is time to stop pretending that it will go away like a bad dream if we think of something else. It won’t. The financial crisis is only the icing on the cake. Despite our efforts, climate change is accelerating and going faster than experts have predicted (currently on a path towards 6 degrees temperature rise this century). Large portions of human settlements are rapidly losing access to fresh water due to diminishing glaciers and the warming climate (more than a billion people may be without fresh water in Asia 2050 according to the IPCC with current trends) . The breakdown of ecosystems is also accelerating, due to overexploitation, with disastrous consequences on fish stocks, deforestation, extinction of species required for a stable world and our own food production (we now have, for the first time, more than a billion starving people in the world and the curve is pointing dramatically upwards since 10 years). Natural resources are running out while the garbage dumps and slums are expanding, and poisoning land and water on the way. Political tension over land and resources is increasing. Conflicts will follow, as well as refugee streams of unprecedented scale.
Many good things are being made to address the issues. Organisations and individuals are increasingly taking on greater commitments and contribute with positive initatives. This is a fact, but unfortunately it is not enough.
What we have to face is that what is currently being done by governments, companies, NGO’s and people everywhere is not leading where we want. Not even close, if we want to maintain a planet pleasant to live on. The reason is twofold; firstly, because we are simply not doing enough, but secondly, and more importantly, because we are doing the wrong things. Our priorities are very schewed towards tangible projects with visible results. Typically, this means that we address symptoms rather than reasons. When the patient’s temperature reaches 41 we desperately need to try to lower the fever. Lowering the fever is necessary, but not the same as curing the disease.
WHAT is going in the wrong direction around the world is more focused but less important than WHY. We have a number of severe systems issues that will continue to drive us into accelerating global problems concerning environment, resources, food and living conditions until we fix them.
The transformations ahead will involve every organization. The changes to come are very fundamental and will change the playing field for business and governments everywhere. We invite you to be part of this dialogue. We need your help, and we may also support you in finding your organisations direction for the future. We are looking for organizations and individuals that wish to engage, but also for knowledge partners and investors for different projects.
If these are questions that concern you, please let me know, and we can discuss what we can do together.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Christer Soderberg on -
Thank you for this well-written and urgent appeal to join forces and generate tangible results in environmental awareness. We must overcome the limitations in our thinking and "change the way we think about change"; first of all I believe it is most important to STOP, REFLECT, and LISTEN! We have been very efficient at creating these problems (with our present way of thinking), so a new approach is called for; an approach beginning with AWARENESS.
What are we doing?
How do we want to live?
What is the first step?
Finally, technology is a miracle, and a powerful tool for change, but essentially it's about individual human beings - I invite more dialogues, more face-to-face meetings, more understanding of the relationships. Tell your friends, get together, anywhere, everywhere. One such place is Open World Café in Stockholm, welcome!
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Permalink Reply by Pausha Foley on -
I agree Christer
If it is true that we are fully responsible for creating our reality, and if it is true that we are creating the reality by who we are, by how we are in relationship, rather than by what we do, then it is not what we are doing that needs changing, but who we are being.
It occurs to me that the change required to really shift reality, rather than trying desperately to fix it, is a very personal one. It is not a change that will happen by organizing things outside of oneself, but by being fully present to the "inside" of oneself, being present to who we are, to how we are, how we create.
Once we are ready to take full responsibility for creating reality we will have the freedom to shape it in any way we wish.
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Permalink Reply by Niclas Ihrén on -
I agree that we have a large responsibility ourselves. It is up to everyone to change. But what if only 10% of the people realize and accept this fact? And what if the change needed (as in the case of climate, ecosystems, etc) requires all of us to change?
We have to accept that change needs to happen on many levels. Individual change being one of them. But only relying on individuals to change will not get us where we want.
Cheers,
Niclas
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Permalink Reply by Pausha Foley on
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It may be enough if the key 10% of people realize and accept the fact. You say, quite rightly: "But only relying on individuals to change will not get us where we want", but where is it that we want to be?
If a new perspective, new approach to reality can be proposed, one that honors nature and all the beings on the planet, including the people who are now in power, including the interest groups, including the great corporations; a perspective that offers a new way of doing business based on mutuality, partnership, those key people might be open to it.
If it is a positive opportunity, if it is an opening for them to grow and expand in a way that benefits them and everyone else, in a way that allows them to develop even beyond where they are now, while supporting the growth and development of everyone else, they might listen to it.
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Permalink Reply by Niclas Ihrén on
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Thank you Christer,
I agree that we are all human beings. But unfortunately, many things are shaped by driving forces beyond those of human virtues. The deforestation of Amazonas is driven by the market. It's illegal to cut it down, but it makes perfect economic sense for those poor forest owners who need the money from the chopped wood and the money from the soy beans harvested from the resulting fields.
This means that business, business ethics and business logic has an important role to play. Equally, the rules for business are set by governments, so the policy dimension is also important. But the example of the rain forest also highlights that nothing happens by policy making alone. A law against cutting the rainforest doesn't becessarily change anything in remote and lawless areas.
/Niclas
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Permalink Reply by Christer Soderberg on
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The deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is an exceedingly complex issue; one common misunderstanding however is that "poor forest owners" are chopping it down for wood and to grow soybeans. Whereas I'm sure this is true in some very limited cases, the main problem is large multinational conglomerates buying up land for little or nothing (often evicting the rightful owners with the help of dubious legal processes) and planting soybeans after destroying the forest for short-term winnings. These are big players and it requires powerful international intervention to affect a change, but the culprits, the individuals who make these decisions of massive environmental destruction, are few in number and by identifying them and making a case for genuine long-term maximization of profits; social, environmental, and economical profits, there is a good chance that meaningful results could be achieved. It begins with individual human beings. It is about authentic leadership and environmental awareness. These are the individuals we would like to invite to our retreats in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil - to engage in a dialogue for sustainability and leadership. Would you like to help us?
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Permalink Reply by Rogerio Yudi Shimmori on
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Hi Niclas,
my name is Rogerio. Thank you for your writing.
This week I read an article in a Brazilian magazine praising a company called Native. They produce organic sugar cane and they are a huge success. I found a text in English about this company, an old one but that makes the point:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0409-07.htm
What draw my attention in this case (and which I shared with Christer) is the fact that they have implemented a sustainable business model at high volumes. They invested millions, broke many paradigms and took them 15 years, but they did it. They were ridiculed but are now copied. They proved that sustainability can be a source of competitive advantage.
I guess in order to make a real impact businesses focusing on sustainability need to be able to leave the "nice but small" to "very large scale".
Just my two cents!
Best regards,
Rogerio
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Permalink Reply by Niclas Ihrén on
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Rogerio,
Thanks for your remark. I totally agree. In the situation we are, sustainability is on one hand very much about scaling up efforts or multiplying efforts for bigger impact. This is what we do in a project called REWORK THE WORLD http://www.reworktheworld.org/
But other parts are related to understanding where the current system actually doesn't work, and consequently work to change the system.
Thanks,
Niclas
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Permalink Reply by Jacob Rønnow Jensen on -
Every society/community has it's own developmental gravity. The gravity pulls you to up to that level, but if you try to go beyond, you are held back and you will feel resistance. However, we are not only affected by the gravity - we are part of it. The gravity is created by the opinions and actions of individuals ... of us. Like Rogerio points out in his example, the center of gravity changes over time. What was abnormal and ridiculed in the past can become the standard of the future (or even the present).
With that in mind, I believe there is hope for the future. Things that seem impossible now, may look entirely different when the center of gravity has shifted. We all have a part to play in moving the center of gravity in the world. We need to treat the symptom as well as the cause! We need to show responsibility and leadership. We need to draw a line in the sand and start acting ... because it's not an option not to!
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Permalink Reply by Niclas Ihrén on
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Jacob,
Couldn't agree more. If we don't address the symptoms the patient may die. But if we don't work with a long-term systems understanding, we will never cure the patient.
Re you doing what you can to be part of the change?
Cheers,
Niclas
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Permalink Reply by Jacob Rønnow Jensen on
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Good question.
I believe that a lot of the resistance, that I was talking about, comes from within ... it comes from having to change the base premises and the core values that you have at any point in time ... it comes from projecting these values back on the world around you (and it's SO hard to listen when you know that you're right).
Therefore I agree with Pausha that "it is not what we are doing that needs changing, but who we are being." ... with the editorial remark that "then a change in what we are doing will naturally follow ... because it's not an option not to!"
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Permalink Reply by Burghard on -
Dear Niclas
I agree that addressing root causes is amongst the key actions we all, starting with ourselves, have to develop.
Though a lot of work has to be done through discussions, forums, exhanges of ideas, communication at large, education, etc, I am also a big friend of actions which lead to visible and convincing results rather sooner than later.
This is because, as you so well commented in this blog, only an insufficient minority does develop the consiousness about a need to change towards a responsable behaviour. And an even smaller amount really gets involved and changes its conduct. Whether that’s at home, in your community or in your business or the one you work with.
I am convinced that there is as much unconsiousness and doubt about needs out there, than there is about possibilities, feasibilties and viabilities to resolve some of the short and of course long term challenges.
Tangible examples of how climate change risk can be mitigated, how watersheds can be protected, how hunger can be dimished, how subsidies allow for developments of technology and know how etc.etc. have a power to speek and convince for themselves.
Unfortunately to often only the big initiatives attract interest and some sort of credibility. But what about the activities we develop in a small scale – which of course should become common practice on a large scale ?
Therefor I like to present the notion that its ok to wait for suggestions and discuss, but its rather more effective, educational and of course responsible that everyone shall be presenting an idea, concrete project or initiative to develop. And if a project is already under development or operation, even better.
Decisions in favor of and commitments to concrete actions are much needed. And such cases would give people, governments, entrepreneurs, etc. examples to follow. We have to learn by doing, rather then discuss whether certain approaches really have a sustainable impact .
The cost of opportunity (incl. economies, humanity, our and next generations) of not doing anything is just too high.
So why not start with this community.
Here a few suggestions of my list, some of which I am actively pursuing :
A) Make it international law for the pulp and paper industry, timber, agriculture, infrastructure, mining, etc. to plant at least two trees for every tree cut.
B) Force governments to protect and monitor forests, watersheds and other natural environments.
C) Ban of non digradable plastic bags.
D) High tax on meat.
E) Introduce a heavy general or industry and logistics tax to fund exclusively sustainable environmental and humanitarian projects.
F) Attractive tax exemptions for companies, which develop, produce, sell products and services which help protect and reduce the impact on the environment and/or generate humanitarian wellbeing in a sustainable form.
G) Introduce monetary incentives to denounce criminals.
H) Condition the very wealthy individuals and institutions (maybe though a progressive income/ wealth or superluxury tax) to fund humanitarian and sustainability projects and to invest a minimum percentage of their fortunes in jobcreating businesses.
I) Make the building of environmental, humanitarian and social consiousness and responsability a must in schools all over the world.
J) Prepare children to make an educated , more mature and passioned decision for themselves, when it comes to choosing a professional direction.
Saludos from Mexico
Burghard
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