More than three-quarters of people worldwide want CEOs “to take the lead on change” instead of waiting for the government to act, according to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer. Is this a good idea for society? What would this kind of leadership look like, and how could it be achieved? The past can provide answers.
In 1958, two United Airlines pilots — Charlie Dent and Rip Munger — teamed up with two other Americans — Roger Enloe and Al Teichmeier — to launch what is now known as the Business Council for the United Nations (BCUN). Today, BCUN is a program under our organization, the UN Foundation, which was created to support the UN in reaching a better world.
Dent and Munger had traveled to Hungary and witnessed Cold War tensions firsthand. After meeting a U.S. delegate to the UN on a flight, they decided to step up support for the UN to help stop another world war and advance global peace. And in a visionary move, they turned to the private sector to achieve their goal.
For the past six decades, businesses have worked through the council to build support for the UN’s mission of peace and to make progress on shared challenges, from health to the environment.
Sixty years ago, Dent and Munger’s idea was a novelty; today, it is a no-brainer. Our problems are too big and complex to be solved by the government alone. We need the ideas, expertise and resources of the private sector at the table.
Moreover, given the wealth and power businesses have amassed, the resources they use from the land and communities around them and the enormous impact their operations have on people and the planet, they not only have an opportunity to create positive social change, but they also have a responsibility.
Many businesses recognize this and have acted, investing in sustainability, encouraging employees to vote and volunteer, ditching plastic straws, hiring refugees and speaking out on issues.
These are important steps, but they need to be the starting point, not the finish line. We need to change the status quo so success in business is defined by long-term impact, not just short-term profit.
Sustainable Development Goals
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals provide 17 goals companies can work toward, such as ending poverty, reducing inequality, protecting the planet and making sure no one is left behind. These goals form an ambitious agenda, but I believe it’s also an essential one if we are to achieve a stable, equitable world in which the planet, its people and businesses can thrive.
In today’s era of proven solutions and abundant resources, we have the means to achieve these goals — now we need the will. This will require a paradigm shift. All of us, especially governments and businesses, need to do more and do better if we’re going to work toward social change.
Here are several steps businesses can take to help achieve these goals:
- Promote the rights and well-being of employees, customers and workers throughout supply chains. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes freedom from discrimination, right to life and access to justice, sets a common standard for every country, company and person. Companies can strengthen their support of human rights by developing a human rights policy and working to integrate human rights into management education.
- Act as responsible members of the communities in which you work, including using your standing as social leaders to stand up for justice and speak out against hate.
- Take action to reduce the inequalities that harm lives and threaten global stability. Business leaders can provide decent jobs and fair wages, work to expand opportunities and skills training to underserved communities and push for more diversity in their ranks.
- Respect the environment and natural resources. There are a number of steps companies can take to help protect the planet, such as tracking and reducing emissions, increasing the energy efficiency of their operations, using clean energy sources, reusing materials and responsibly using resources like water.
- Invest in sustainable development that benefits all. An important part of this is engaging, listening to and meeting the needs of marginalized groups that are too often forgotten, from refugees to people with disabilities to minority communities.
- Collaborate with governments and international organizations to scale effective solutions. Time and again, we’ve seen the power of multi-sector partnerships to change lives, from expanding access to vaccines to turning the tide against diseases like HIV/AIDS.
What’s right for society is also good for business. Companies that lead in sustainability today will be on markedly stronger footing in tomorrow’s economy. A report from the Business and Sustainable Development Commission found that sustainable business models in four key areas — energy, cities, food and agriculture, and health and well-being — could open up at least $12 trillion of economic opportunities and create up to 380 million jobs by 2030.
Increasingly, employees and consumers expect businesses to be responsible members of society and reward them for it. Our Girl Up initiative released research last summer that found that 65% of Gen Z girls and women believe it is important to buy from brands that give back to their communities, and 72% believe it is important to buy from brands that are environmentally friendly.
Throughout history, the private sector has been a driver of change. It can do so again. Indeed, it must. As we saw 60 years ago, when business leaders look beyond profit to people and the planet, we all benefit.
Editor’s Note:
This article was previously published on Forbes and is reproduced with permission.
