11.05.2014

Something that's actually good

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the WHO, is no stranger to speaking her mind. Her take on what Ebola tells us about business models in the pharmaceutical industry is the latest refreshingly blunt call for change (via NY Times):

"A profit-driven industry does not invest in products for markets that cannot pay," says Chan. "W.H.O. has been trying to make this issue visible for ages. Now people can see for themselves."

10.14.2014

Another non-environmental wonder

As a company that has been almost constantly at war with regulators, taxis and local communities since inception, how can Uber continue to grow exponentially in a way that strengthens the economies it operates in? Uber CEO Travis Kalanick shares his enlightened view (via Wall Street Journal):

"In the win column we have 130 and in the loss column we have one. So yes, these are battles but we we’ve lost one battle out of many."

And the source of this head-in-the-sand mentality?

"I’m just ultra-focused on the business."

Clearly.

5.11.2014

Gem of the day

Newsflash: Coke's sales are down for the first time in 15 years. Could it be the magic nexus of growing health awareness, both generally and specific to sodas, the obesity-driven war on sugar, and declining license to operate in emerging market communities?

Let's hope it's not, since the company's plan is less than strategic: boost consumer demand by increasing its marketing budget by 10%.

4.09.2014

Gem of the day

Suppliers are a key part of the 'Essentials' of Tesco's evolving CR strategy. A critical and complicated area to improve, you'd expect a sophisticated set of goals to drive progress - especially to fulfill the statement 'Tesco treats its suppliers fairly'. Instead, this is Tesco's key target:

"We know that we need to improve our reputation for how we treat our suppliers, so we will ask our customers – in all markets in which we operate – whether they agree with this statement or not. This will be done through our regular image tracker survey which tracks customers’ views on our performance."

Things that are wrong with this picture: a) focusing on reputation, and b) targeting customers, who have little influence or expertise to bring to how Tesco's supplier relationships evolve.

3.17.2014

Another non-environmental wonder

Rare are the times a comment on Amazon is worth reading, but this one is a gem of a response to Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer's new book 'Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't' (hint - if the title doesn't appeal, you're probably not the right audience for the book):

"The book promises to tell you about the 'real' nature of leadership opportunities...if you want to garner power, it's more important to play the game than to perform well. Which, I guess I actually agree with to a large degree, but that's only news to an academic."

Zing!

3.14.2014

Another non-environmental wonder

Great news for investors in defense giant BAE Systems - there's not one, but five reasons to believe the company will enjoy a thriving 2014 in the U.S. Front and center is what Forbes calls its positioning in 'above-average growth potential' areas, including 'digital electronics and cybersecurity'.

Surely no coincidence given the staggering scope of government surveillance programs in the U.S. and beyond, which has more publicly accountable brands from Facebook to Apple, Google and Microsoft 'up in arms' (not literally, unlike BAE), and even the outgoing chief of the NSA itself calling for limits.

3.13.2014

Gem of the day

Chevron's theory of change: resist all progress because it won't make any difference, and the status quo will do us all some good. Example - carbon legislation in California, courtesy of EVP Downstream Michael Wirth (via Reuters):

"It's a cost, frankly, that Chevron can't absorb...No matter how big and successful we are, we can't absorb that cost. We'd have to pass that onto consumers...California, by itself, cannot change the (global) inventory of greenhouse gases," Wirth said.

3.07.2014

Another non-environmental wonder

More proof that possessing slightly sociopathic qualities goes a long way towards surviving the corporate ladder, courtesy of Apple CEO Tim Cook (via Gawker):

"Cook once dispatched an underling straight from a meeting at Apple headquarters in Cupertino to the airport bound for China, without time even to pack a change of clothes or figure out a return date. 'Why are you still here?' was Cook's goodbye, delivered in the middle of the meeting."


3.05.2014

Gem of the day

Just one of the many gems in this week's New Yorker piece on the long-suffering global project to build the world's first nuclear fusion machine, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITAR - and there's more than a little relevance here to what it's like trying to push sustainability through big companies:

'"This project is supposed to be about hope, but fear runs rampant within it,' the scientist said. 'Efforts are made on many levels to hide the problems, in part because people believe the situation can’t be remedied, and in part because some of the decision-makers will be dead by the time the big red button is pushed.'"


2.27.2014

Gem of the day

For the two billion people without access to healthcare, growing interest from the world's pharmaceutical companies is potentially good news.

Stanford's Social Innovation Review, however, has a short and sweet answer to the logical resulting question of how these companies might reach the next two billion - and it's one that won't sound familiar on business terms:

"Money alone is not an easy route to access innovation and new markets. A more engaged, partnership-based approach is required."

2.25.2014

Another non-environmental wonder

The UN as a good value investment? Businessweek puts some key numbers into helpful context, suggesting that the multilateral organisation ambassador John Bolton once quipped 'wouldn't make a bit of difference...if it lost 10 stories' off of its 38-story New York HQ, is actually an 'immense bargain'.

The UN operates on $2.6 billion in funds per year - not much compared to, say, the estimated annual cost of air-conditioning for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan: $20 billion. And not much at all given what we rely on the UN for - keeping the global peace, supporting development and providing glue to bond our dysfunctional economies.

Might be a sound idea to keep those 10 stories after all.


2.19.2014

Gem of the day

Is the US the last Western country on earth to still equate philanthropy with impact? The results of the latest 'Philanthropy Top 50' list would seem to suggest so - $7.7 billion donated in 2012.

As the new no. 1 on the list, Mark Zuckerberg could do better to join up the oft-repeated purpose of Facebook and the intention behind his personal charitable giving. In the words of Sheryl Sandberg, "'Mark is unapologetic about his idealism. He always said Facebook was started not just to be a company, but to fulfill a vision of connecting the world.'"


2.18.2014

Gem of the day

Who says 'House of Cards' is the only place to watch ruthless political skill trump expertise, ethics and integrity?

Try economist Paul Collier's assessment of the firm B.G.S.R.'s investment in African development:

"Paul Collier, however, takes a dim view of businessmen like Steinmetz, who have secured the rights to natural resources that they may not actually have the expertise to develop. 'Their technical competence is a social-network map,' Collier said. 'Who has the power to make the decision? Who can I reach?’ They know how to get a contract—that is their skill.'"


1.30.2014

Gem of the day

Coke has an unyielding determination to be selective about which major trends the company will acknowledge publicly and link to business implications. This year's Davos showed just how lopsided that makes for the way the company prioritises, advocates and engages on all things sustainability - climate change and youth unemployment to the fore, whilst health remains the elephant in the room (via NY Times and Coke itself):

"Increased droughts, more unpredictable variability, 100-year floods every two years...When we look at our most essential ingredients, we see those events as threats," said Jeffrey Seabright, Coke’s VP for environment.

"[CEO Muhtar] Kent called youth unemployment both 'an incredibly pressing issue and an opportunity,' noting that reducing the youth unemployment rate by 1 percent adds $75 billion to the global economy...'If we do not do something, the social mosaic in the world as we know it will crack.'"

1.28.2014

Something that's actually good

Two gems from Vaclav Smil, polymath, scientist, critic and basically all-around expert in how stuff should actually work (via Wired):

On the food system, in a nutshell:

"We pour all this energy into growing corn and soybeans, and then we put all that into rearing animals while feeding them antibiotics. And then we throw away 40 percent of the food we produce."

And even better, on the problem with Wired technomania:

"Today, as you know, everything is 'innovation.' We have problems, and people are looking for fairy-tale solutions...You people at WIRED—you’re the guilty ones. You support these people, you write about them, you elevate them onto the cover."

1.23.2014

Something that's actually good

A voice of reason at Davos, the annual decision-makers talkathon? Yes - and from a most unlikely place, the Pope (via the Independent):

"The growth of equality demands something more than economic growth."

1.17.2014

Gem of the day

In case you missed it, the new year has not been a slow one for a key part of the UK's shale gas hype machine, the big 4 accountancies - they're hard at work.

Witness the head of oil & gas tax (what a job!) at Deloitte UK (via them):

"Gaining the support of local communities for shale gas is crucial...The measures from both the Government and the United Kingdom Onshore Operators Group (UKOOG) mean further economic benefits for local communities from shale activity in their neighbourhoods."

Of course, once local communities have been steamrolled using this promise of financial gain, there's no chance the hype could hit the fan - just as it has in the US (via Jeremy Leggett but also a concern for scientists and other smart people):

"The large deficits being run by the US shale oil and gas industry are starting to be reported in the financial press...The reason for this decline is that while some wells may be profitable, overall drilling and producing shale oil and gas is simply not."

If only the big 4 were as good with numbers as they are with press releases.

1.13.2014

Gem of the day

Not content to merely tow the industry line like his peers - "As long as we as an industry follow good engineering practices and standards, these risks are entirely manageable" (Rex Tillerson), "Our resource base keeps expanding because our technology keeps improving" (John Watson) - Bob Dudley takes it one step further (via Atlantic Partnership):

"Some of you will have been familiar with the theory of so-called 'peak oil'. Well, we believe that theory has itself now peaked."

1.07.2014

Another non-environmental wonder

A gem of a quote that sums up the sad truth of the value of TED events to company cultures (part of Businessweek's coverage of the 'TEDification' of Corporate America):

"It makes you realize that corporations are made up of people."