The forum provided its audience greater insight into key factors which make a successful entrepreneur. The forum also addressed issues which are important to running a sustainable business. A sustainable business not only refers to the environmental impact of the business but also the social and economic factors. These 3 aspects of sustainability will determine the long-term success of the project or business.
One key point I took away from the forum was that the most important aspect of sustainability in a business is the people it affects. The human aspect of sustainability is the main driving force behind any sustainable business or project. During the forum, Ms Nancy Ling shared her experience relating to her sustainable business. In order to encourage her clients to adopt sustainable practices, she had to give her potential clients a personal stake in conserving the environment. The most important reason for adopting a sustainable mindset towards businesses is to improve the lives of the people involved. Adopting green practices to reduce negative environmental impact may not make any sense if humans have no stake in conserving the environment.
Businesses which contribute to pollution or carbon emissions will eventually have to pay the price for it. Pollution and climate change may affect humans directly or indirectly as it adversely affects human life on either a local, regional or global scale. This would affect the business economically as resources may become scarce or repairs for the damage caused need to be paid for. In an example given by Ms Nancy Ling, her clients would be encouraged to adopt green practices in fear of losing out to their competition when more people start to adopt green practices. Ultimately, humans must pay the price for living sustainably and businesses need to look towards improving the lives of humans to run a sustainable business.
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