Moving beyond best-practice

The last post left off calling this page "a space to share best-practice." Of course it's great to hear about organizations setting the example by finding new and innovative ways to make their corners of the world that much better.

But these examples don't set the bar. They exceed it, and most companies will find it difficult to achieve the same success. So where is the bar? How much is enough?
That's the question Green Biz editor Joel Makower asks in Strategies for the Green Economy, published earlier this year. Without getting into the details (I strongly recommend the book for any company looking to go green), "enough" will inevitably be different for each organization. That's why there's no single eco-label that applies to all business sectors, much less the ocean of non-profits and charitable organizations. "Enough" is often a relative term, so knowing your competition is a good place to start. Then again, sustainability isn't about simply catching up, or narrowly beating your competition. It's about vision. What does your organization want? What are its impacts, and who feels those impacts? What do those people want? Engaging in a conversation with your communities is often the best way to create value in all its forms: social, economic and environmental.