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There's no alternative to sustainable development. Even so, many companies are convinced that the more environment-friendly they become, the more the effort will erode their competitiveness. They believe it will add to costs and will not deliver immediate financial benefits.
Excerpt from Harvard Business Review, September 2009
Talk long enough to CEOs, particularly in the United States or Europe, and their concerns will pour out: making our operations sustainable and developing "green" products places us at a disadvantage vis-àvis rivals in developing countries that don't face the same pressures. Suppliers can't provide green inputs or transparency; sustainable manufacturing will demand new equipment and processes; and customers will not pay more for eco-friendly products during a recession. That's why most executives treat the need to become sustainable as a corporate social responsibility, divorced from business objectives.
Not surprisingly, the fight to save the planet has turned into a pitched battle between governments and companies, between companies and consumer activists, and sometimes between consumer activists and governments.
Although both legislation and...