Osbert’s ethical enterprise

I’ve recently joined Footprint Consulting after 7 years as executive director of the Centre for Human Ecology, a network for ecological and social transformation. Press release below.

I’ve been intimately involved with CHE for over twelve years: in the campaign to prevent its closure by the University of Edinburgh; in the heady days of setting CHE up as an independent organisation; developing and running work around business and sustainability; and for seven years as executive director. In this role I’ve helped manage and develop the MSc, first under Open University validation and then in partnership with the University of Strathclyde. Despite some difficult times along the way, I feel that with the support and hard work of many others, together we have achieved a great deal - and that there is a real opportunity to build on CHE’s achievements and potential in the years ahead.

It is now time for me to focus on practical business and sustainability projects with Footprint Consulting. I plan to continue my involvement in the MSc and the Ethical Enterprise course, remaining a Fellow of the CHE and taking an active role where there is synergy with my work at Footprint.

Press Release: Business ethics expert joins Highland consultancy

Highland based ecological consultants Footprint have just appointed an expert in ethical approaches to enterprise who is currently advising the Scottish Parliament on their purchasing policy and helping to ‘green’ award-winning broadband company Lumison.

Osbert Lancaster, who for the last seven years has been director of the Edinburgh based Centre for Human Ecology, has become a director of Footprint where he will offer the business community services geared towards raising awareness of the issues of ethical purchasing and sustainability and how to tackle them.

Mr Lancaster said: “Businesses that take their environmental and social responsibilities seriously are laying the foundations for long term success, as well as benefiting from immediate market opportunities. I believe the companies that will really thrive in this climate change era, have leaders personally committed to ‘doing the right thing’. Joining Footprint is a great opportunity to work with people who not only have the expertise, but are also passionate about helping organisations and their leaders do the right thing and make the transition to fair and sustainable future.”

Footprint director, Dave Key, said: “The private sector can respond extremely quickly and effectively to the challenges of sustainability, reducing costs and opening up new markets, once business leaders embrace sustainability as the heart of their strategy. Osbert’s new role is to support businesses and organisations in this realisation through strategic consultancy and training services and we’re delighted to have such an experienced, highly qualified and well-reputed person join us.”

About Footprint Consulting Limited
Footprint Consulting is an ethical enterprise established to promote ecological sustainability and social justice.

Their approach uses human ecology - which explores individual and cultural relationships with nature - as a framework for thinking about sustainable development and cultural change.

They offer support with strategic thinking, education & training, and the design and development of services and products that support, rather than exploit, the Earth’s life systems.

Footprint work on a very diverse range of projects for the commercial, social enterprise, NGO and public sectors.

Website: http://www.footprintconsulting.org

About Osbert
Osbert works at the interface between business, ecological sustainability and social justice. Working closely with his clients he develops and helps implement strategies for sustainability that improve environmental, social and economic performance. He combines a deep understanding of sustainability, experience of business and market realities, and a pragmatic approach to deliver concrete results.

Osbert worked in management and economic development consultancy, became disenchanted with the lack of interest at the time in the sustainability agenda, before joining the Centre for Human Ecology to develop projects in this area. In 2001 he became CHE’s executive director, supporting the development of the Centre’s renowned MSc in Human Ecology, leading the course in Ethical Enterprise and delivering sustainability consulting - including work with the Scottish Parliament to help develop its ethical purchasing policy.

He is particularly interested in the potential for positive change that arises when personal values and organisational strategies are aligned towards environmental and social responsibility.

Contacts

Footprint Consulting Limited
David Key, Director
phone: ++44 (0)1540 662424

Footprint Consulting Limited
Osbert Lancaster, Director
phone: ++44 (0) 131 243 2616

For years, like many others, I have been raising awareness of the fundamental fact that we all depend on a healthy, resilient ecosystem - often to be told that in the ‘real’ world of money, business and politics the ecosystem doesn’t count.

That’s now changed. In Scotland and across the globe it’s recognised that significant action by international institutions, governments, businesses, communities and individuals is essential. But for all the bullish pronouncements of opportunities, overcoming challenges, and reaching targets, many people I speak to doubt whether action is happening fast enough to prevent irreversible changes.

Coming out about climate change

So far, so trite. Where does this leave you and I? Practically - what should we do? Emotionally - how do we deal with this possibility? And what are the implications of ‘coming out’ - being honest that perhaps our forebears and our society have put the world on a track towards unknowable, potentially catastrophic, environmental change? Will being honest about our doubts undermine the growing acceptance that change is not only necessary but possible - for if it’s not possible, is it worth the effort?

I can only speak for myself. Lies, even in a good cause, have a way of backfiring - never mind the pain of living with lies. So I must be honest about my doubt, but this is doubt not conviction. Overall, I have hope: I do believe there is potential for real, positive change in the world - but I’m not so blinded to believe success inevitable.

It’s not just climate change

Public awareness and political action is focussed primarily on climate change. But even without climate change, the planet is so stressed that our life support systems are under threat. And while achieving CO2 reduction targets would reduce environmental stress, CO2 reduction alone will not be enough.

Significant changes to the way we live and organise our economies are essential to restore the health of the planet. Achieving reductions in CO2 will be difficult - and who knows where we are headed if we don’t succeed.

Going beyond boosterism

We need to deal with each and every one of our planet-stressing activities, not just CO2 emissions. We must go beyond technical solutions and boosterism talk which boils down to ‘business as usual with less carbon’.

We must find and apply ways of working and living that enhance social and environmental resilience - aiming to create a world worth living in.

Such action will simultaneously reduce CO2 emissions, reduce other environmental stresses, and strengthen human wellbeing. We can work to prevent climate change, and should we not succeed, we will already be preparing to live with that failure.

Laying down my fears

Preventing climate change alone was never going to be enough. Feeling comfortable saying all this gives me the strength to lay down my fears. The questions I asked above now seem irrelevant. They may well come back to haunt me, but for now there’s work I need to do.

Here’s my to do list:

1. Up my game - have the confidence to aim high.
2. Build on my skills and expertise - ethical enterprise; public procurement; supporting agents of change - to have maximum impact, direct and indirect.
3. Explore new ways of working with people in my real and virtual networks to scale up our work for maximum effect.

What’s on your list? Share your thoughts using the comments.

I recently asked people involved in corporate social responsibility to recommend some books. I wrote:

“Ray Anderson at Interface was famously influenced to address sustainability as a result of reading Paul Hawken’s ‘The Ecology of Commerce‘. (You can read Ray’s story here.)

“That was some years ago (1993) and general awareness of climate change and sustainability is much higher. And lots of new books have been written.

“What book would you now give to someone - especially in business - to inspire them to take action for people and planet?”

I wanted to find out if there were some great books out there that had passed me by. I particularly wanted to discover a book to give to people working in business who are concerned about environmental and social issues, but perhaps need inspiration and guidance to move from concern to action.

Read more »

I recently facilitated an ethical enterprise workshop for LTS International, a leading sustainable development consultancy.

The purpose was to explore how LTSI can build on its aspirations to be an ethical and profitable consulting company. Rob Wild, LTSI Associate Director, said “This workshop has given us a firm foundation from which to move forward as we develop our responsibility statement and actions. The event was well facilitated and we achieved a lot in a short time.”

If you’re interested in exploring ethics and values in your organisation, or other aspects of environmental, social and economic performance, contact me via Footprint Consulting.

Land confiscated from the mafia and now farmed by social enterprises is helping deliver over 1 million organic school meals a day in Italy. A consortium of social enterprises have won a contract to supply furniture to North Lanarkshire Council. Just two examples of how public procurement is already being used to deliver multiple environment, social and economic benefits.

Greener, more ethical and more local economies are a real possibility if public procurement — how governments spend our money on goods and services — can deliver its potential of contributing to sustainable development. There will be significant opportunities for social enterprises, fair trade and organic businesses, and for small and medium sized enterprises that can demonstrate excellent environmental and social performance.

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A review of The Civil Corporation: The new economy of corporate citizenship by Simon Zadek

Simon Zadek hints at an answer to a question that has been nagging me for some time: is social enterprise in the vanguard of a real transformation of the economy, or are social enterprises no more – and no less – than islands of sanity in a mad world?

The Civil Corporation, as the name suggests is focused on large corporations. Despite this Zadek offers exciting insights into role of smaller, innovative, values-led businesses in the evolution civil corporations – corporations that are truly responsible, accountable and deliver real environmental and social benefits.

Zadek describes the current situation where a small, but growing, number of corporations (for example Marks & Spencer) are striving to seriously address environmental and social problems. Zadek argues that this trend can only continue if they develop strategies that not only deliver social and environmental benefits, but also competitive advantage; if other companies follow their lead; and if governments introduce policies that level up the competitive playing field to support responsible companies and penalise free-riders.

Read more »