Filed in Sustainability

There are over 2 billion people on this planet living on less than $1 a day. Another 2 billion average just a bit over $2 a day. And the gap between rich and poor is only getting bigger. Natural resources are deteriorating an alarming rate. We’re over-fishing our oceans to the point that experts predict the collapse of all fish and seafood populations by 2050.

Why do we have these problems? There a many reasons, some of them complex, but I believe that there is a fundamental issue underlying it all. We have become incredibly good at creating complex, vertical organizations that each do a part of the overall picture very well–organizations that produce food or goods, provide transportation or services, or sell solutions to problems. These organizations–usually corporations–have become very good at maximizing productivity to deliver high quality results. The issue is that their orientation is short term, and their perspective is focused on their little piece of the whole picture.

The basic nature of global issues, on the other hand, is long term and interconnected. No single organization–or even a nation as powerful as the U.S.–can ever hope to solve these problems alone. No single technology or process will solve them either. The one thing that I’m sure will be needed to solve these problems is collaboration. Collaboration is the process of people from various backgrounds working together to achieve a common goal. It’s not easy to do, nor does it happen automatically. It requires skill, intention, integrity, and resources to do well. Collaborative planning is a discipline in its own right, with skills, best practices, and a complex body of knowledge and aptitudes to master. What would the world be like if governments and corporations treated collaborative planning as a critically important skill for creating a better future?

This past month has brought more ominous warnings on the environment and the effects of global warming than ever before, and the calls for action are growing. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report on February 2nd with more than 2500 reserachers from 130 nations contributing. This is the most comprehensive overview of climate change yet, with a real potential impact on worldwide public policy. The IPCC says that it is now “very likely” — or at least a 90% probability — that rising temperatures are due to increased human-caused carbon emissions. Dire predictions and calls for action were also heard at the World Economic Forum in Davos, stating “in the last five years the situation has gone from bad to worse.” To make matters worse, this past winter has been the warmest winter in recorded history, and scientists are learning that the warmer winter is causing billions of dollars in crop damage.

The response has been swift and significant. The Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK, Gordon Brown, soon expected to be the next Prime Minister after Tony Blair steps down, has publicly called for a “new world order” to combat the threat of climate change. The European Union is also imposing a ban on conventional light bulbs, replacing them with energy-saving bulbs within two years. Australia and Canada are taking similar steps.

These new developments point to accelerating trends that will affect all kinds of businesses in a myriad of ways. It’s growing more and more likely that there will be some kind of regulation of greenhouse gase emissions. There will be opportunities as well — from standing out from the competition with environmental responsibility to new products and technologies that help solve pieces of the problem.

How are you and your organization responding to the trends, threats, and opportunities presented by global warming issues?