The New Green Economy

Ethics for a green company are often stated as People, Planet, Profit as a way of framing ethical concerns using the triple bottom line. This us usually measured by contributions to charity, reduction in energy use and an increase in profit. If a company is good to its people is that a part of the triple bottom line? If the company invents a way to produce its product with less pollution is that part of the triple bottom line? If the company chose to invest a system that will reduce its water use so it didn't show a profit this year is that part of the triple bottom line? More importantly, how would you know about these things?

Ethics

The point of the triple bottom line is to provide a framework for thinking about sustainability. Is sustainability inherently ethical? I do believe we think so, at least to some degree, or the FTC wouldn't be so concerned about greenwashing. When a company claims it is green, then we make an assessment of its ethics - intentinal or not.

I believe that there is much more to this. At Ethical Impact L3C we see sustainability as following the Earth's Prime Directive - always create the conditions that support Life. For us this is a moral imperitive. Framed in this way the ethical considerations become more clear - and so do the management issues.

Usual Ethical Considerations

Normaly we expect companies to be honest, refrain from cheating and stealing, and treat both employees and the public fairly. In practice we have killed the messenger when employees have told the truth (hence whistleblowing laws and the fiasco at HP between Patricia Dunn and Tom Perkins), lauded abrasive behavior ("you're fired!"), admired a lier (John Browne of BP) and tolerated a President who worked to bankrupt a country (George W. Bush).

We seem to get caught in illusions like being legal makes it ethical, that position gets to have allowances made for bad behavior, trust in 'old boy' networks, and the idealism that important people can do no wrong. Ethics takes the hindmost.

Sustainable Ethics

The move toward sustainability, on the other hand, showcases a concern for others and even the planet. I see people struggling to get a firm handle on what it really means to care for the planet and I wonder how likely folks are to be inconcienenced personally, if the planet would suffer from their actions. That said, there does seem to be some consensus that sustainable actions have an ethical context, even if there is little clarity about what this means.

The Prime Directive forms the heart of the Sustainable Values Set™ and forms the context for ethical action with some clarity. The Seven Deadly Sins are always with us, but the Values Set helps create a directional path that provides for clarity in decision-making that is focused on living within natural laws.

Are Ethics Different?

The upshot is yes, we expect more from companies pursuing a sustainable path. That's the good news. The truth is that ALL companies should follow this approach to ethics - the rewards are more than monetary.