Companies’  effectiveness in tackling sustainability challenges requires a common language and a shared understanding of the issues among employees at all level . Individuals in the company might have their own ideas and personal commitments to sustainability, but for the emergence of the company’s collective voice there need to be a dynamic process of co-creation of a shared vision based on a common language and understanding. The result of this process will be increased mobilization, engagement and commitment at all levels.

We have been having several forums for discussion and construction of a shared vision for a more sustainable Merida. We hold monthly company meetings attended by all employees – in person or teleconference. In these meeting, besides review of the finance and strategy of the company, we always report on sustainability accomplishments, dilemmas and objectives. We have just finished showing the movie An Inconvenient Truth to several small employees groups. After the sessions, I mediated a conversation about people’s impressions, feelings and ideas. These have been great!! Some people were not aware of the profound implications of climate change and global warming. The most interest for me was the prevailing positive attitude of  “what can we do? Let’s do it now!!” expressed by just about everyone.

We just did last Thursday the first of a series of workshops using an adaptation of The Natural Steps (http://www.naturalstep.org/) framework to deepen and move forward the process of building a common language, shared vision and a plan for action. Participation, mobilization and enthusiasm were fantastic, inspiring us all to keep the good and challenging work making a difference as a company.  I post in the resource page the presentation for the workshop. Please, let me know your ideas about it!!

On my article “Sustainability: Does it really make business sense?” I argued that there has been an increasing concern with sustainability among consumers and thus well run businesses have prepared themselves for this change.

Two years ago when my MIT Sloan team worked with Merida helping to figure out how sustainability could be part of its strategy, the level of consumer’s awareness with the issue was low. Concerns with products made with rapid renewable, recyclable or recycled materials were already quite prominent.  But, other sustainability issues were still far from being captured by people’s mental radar. These included environmental and labor standard protection in other countries, fair trade, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and local development of distant communities.

Recently impressionist and scientific data support the claim of a growing awareness and concern with sustainability. Merida has been receiving an  increasing volume of calls and request not only about product materials but also about the impact of their manufacturing on the environment and communities in other countries.

Just a couple of days ago, Yale and George Mason Universities released survey results about “Climate Change and the American Mind“. The full report which is extremely interesting and rich can be found at http://envirocenter.research.yale.edu/uploads/climatechange-report2.pdf

The report reveals that even in the midst of a growing economic crisis last fall, over 90% of respondents said that the United States should act to reduce global warming. The results included 34% who said the United States should make a large-scale effort, even if it has large economic costs.

Citizens believe that corporation & business should do a lot more (41%) or should do more (32%) to address global warming. They have high expectations for business but are not easy on themselves: 30% believe citizens themselves should do a lot more and for 42% say they should do more.

Social behavior theory teaches us to expect a gap between attitude – which is a complex mental state involving beliefs, feelings, values and dispositions to act in certain ways – and action itself.  Action takes some time to catch up with attitude. So, as expected, a small percentage of consumers reward (punish) companies that are taking steps (opposing steps) to reduce global warming by buying (not) buying their products.  But, 40% declare that they intend to reward or punish companies more frequently in the next 12 months than they do now. I would not expect to see 40% of the citizens/consumers punishing or rewarding companies in the next year but there is hardly a clearer sign of change to come.

President Obama has been frequently talking about climate change and is championing clean energy and green jobs as an opportunity to help pull the country out of the economic downturn. The effect of the President’s leadership and policies toward a more sustainable economy will boost the level of awareness and action among citizens/consumers. Would you agree?

I am posting another research on the Resource page. I do not know of any that contradict the trend of growing awareness of and support to sustainability. Does any one know of any? Please, let me know.