We are all people

What the f?!k is happening in the world? Why has it taken Covid-19 and George Floyd to remind us about inequality?

My honest (if na?ve) reaction to the news from the US: this must be media hype; no modern democracy can seriously have that degree of institutional racism, surely. But no, it’s real.

I am, like most people, shocked and maddened that there is a need in the 21st century for mass protests in order for black voices to be heard. 

For those of us operating professionally in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) space it is perhaps a timely re-balancing of the ‘S’ following a 2-year period when ‘E’ was (for entirely proper and urgent reasons) the focus. 

I have also become painfully aware of the massive looming inequality in children’s health and wellbeing resulting from Covid-19. 

Here in rural Devon, our children have spent 90% of every day since 23 March outdoors, enjoying sunshine and fresh air. Their growing bodies will have seen huge benefits from more home cooking, mostly plant based, and the abundance of vegetables they can now pick and eat direct from the garden. Their gut microbiomes will be in better balance than ever before. I have even noticed (touch wood) that our general levels of health and wellbeing have been unusually good this spring.  

Meanwhile, my wife (an ex-teacher) is stalwartly home-schooling the older two through the resources provided by school. It’s a massive effort on her part - taking its toll - but she’s doing it. 

It is estimated that, throughout the world, 368.5 million children face malnutrition because they normally rely on school to provide them with a nutritious meal.  An additional 42 – 66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of Covid and 1.5 billion children have had their learning seriously disrupted. 

We also know that children in lower income households have fewer educational resources and are spending less time on home learning – leading to an “almost certain” increase in educational inequalities. Plenty of parents simply don’t have the time or wherewithal to dedicate – an impossible situation. The fact that some year groups have started to go back, part-time, to school will not fix this overnight…or perhaps at all.  

This is all equally shocking. 

It is time for us all to ask what more we can do to reset the system.  

Business is a key vehicle for change. Every business leader should take a good hard look at their company and ask, honestly, whether it is genuinely providing opportunities and voice to all – or is it unconsciously reinforcing inequality. Is its board composition truly representative, or can you count the different ethnic groups on the fingers of one…er, finger? Are its recruitment and development processes tokenistic or genuinely empowering. 

Business can and should go further than just ensuring a diverse and inclusive environment: every company should identify the causes that really matter to their staff, communities and stakeholders and set bold ambitions to make a real difference, with time and resource to do them justice. 

As we start to emerge from the darkness of Covid, the world will be looking to us all for leadership. Now is the time to step up.