Yes, but what are we optimizing for? Part 3/3
Yael Rozencwajg
Founder and CEO @ Wild Intelligence | AI safety, cybersecurity, enterprise AI mission
This article is part of the "The Road to Sustainability?" weekly review on LinkedIn.
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Table of content "Yes, but what are we optimizing for?"—Part 3/3"
11. Podcast: "The Road to Sustainability" kick off our new season and more
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1. Introduction
“If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old”—Peter Drucker.
Consider the world in a hundred years: a global techno-scientific civilization has emerged from the class turmoils and the ethnic conflicts, yet still simmers at its core. People are better nourished and educated than they were in 2021. Still, the great majority are in the developing world and remain poor even by the standards of industrialized countries a century before.
In 2121, if current environmental trends continue: the natural world is in a terrible state. There are no longer any wilderness areas in the Amazon, Congo, or New Guinea. Yet, in many parts of the world, people still appreciate the snow-covered mountains peaks of whitewater quickly flowing into deep quiet pools.
Humanity?is?currently?perched?on?the?edge?of?a?cliff.?We?may?end?up?with?a?"vastly?different?planet"?if?we?disregard?the?warning?signals. Thus, what are we optimizing for?
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2. Real questions deserve real answers: Yes, but what are we optimizing for?—part 3/3
A three-part series to help us embrace the critical role of sustainability in our increasingly global economy and make better decisions:
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3. Humanity is currently perched on the edge of a cliff. We may end up with a "vastly different planet" if we disregard the warning signals
3.1—A hundred years from now, depending on our current efforts, the planet will be somewhere between a little bit warmer and a lot warmer than today.
In 2121, that disparity may represent the difference between millions of lives saved and millions of lives lost on a global scale. The aged and wiser human population recognizes this, but it is too late now that the world is considerably poorer than it was in 2021, and it will remain thus indefinitely.?
Efficient tools and reliable means have been developed to eradicate most diseases, even those caused by genetic abnormalities. But, the then climate will be essentially equivalent to that of the most recent ice age.?
As I have maintained in this review all year long, the central challenge of our century is how to lift the poor to an appropriate level of living while keeping as much of the rest of life as feasible.
The emerging world is home to both the impoverished in need and the world's dwindling ecological variety. In a destroyed environment, the poor, some of whom lack sanitation, clean water, and enough food, have few opportunities to progress.
The executive leaders and board members of the largest corporations, supported by government and institution officers committed to expanding the capitalist economy, are the industrialized world commanders.?
All have many compelling reasons to find adequate long-term solutions and adopt ethical decisions.
3.2—Climate change and carbon emissions have put businesses at risk financially.
Many best-case scenarios predict that by 2121, we'll have absorbed more carbon than we emit thanks to carbon-capture technologies.?
Notwithstanding--today--climate impact has become a geo-socio-political reality, and it is gaining expanding importance in corporate competitiveness. Although we still don't know how it will affect the planet, two things are certain: complicated environmental impacts will have a direct influence on society, industries, and ecosystems, and governments will strive to limit its consequences through regulations and policies.
Each organization's policy will be determined by its specific market and its consistency with its overall strategy. Every organization's approach must incorporate measures to reduce climate-related costs and risks across its value chain. Business executives must treat carbon emissions as a cost, and firms must analyze and decrease their sensitivity to climate-related environmental and economic shocks.?
Greenhouse gas emissions will be more and more monitored, controlled, and priced, exceeding closely in the future.?As a matter of operational effectiveness, every company must master those fundamentals.?
While decision-makers may vary on how immediate and severe the effects of climate change will be, businesses must act now.
3.3—The most significant variable determining how we engage with markets is the way we value sustainability.
We are at the beginning of a massive economic shift, but there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all response to climate change. Our society has long relied on unsustainable development models, and the transition to a new paradigm is already underway.?
It has become critical to breach growth and productivity from their negative environmental and societal impacts. The ultimate purpose is to promote both short- and long-term reliable and efficient organizations by distinguishing between those that achieve long-term success and those that do not.?
In addition to comprehending the costs of its emissions, every management should assess its vulnerability to climate-related consequences such as regional variations in energy and water availability, the dependability of infrastructure and supply chains, and the incidence of infectious diseases.?
The company's executives should carefully analyze these risks and then determine which to decrease by rethinking operations, which to shift to others through insurance or hedging contracts, and which to bear.
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4. Conclusion: so, what are we optimizing for?
Today, everyone wants a highly productive economy with a substantial percentage of well-paying employment. Almost everyone also wants progress but acknowledges that private property is a sacred right, but also everyone treasures a clean environment.
The wisdom and efficacy of each country's legislation in conserving biological diversity measures the strength of its environmental ethic.
The ethical approach is to analyze and detach irrelevant political stances before sharing them to reach a common ground where economic growth and preservation are complementary goals.
Climate change and carbon emissions have resulted in significant financial risks for businesses. For some organizations, the attitude to climate change may go beyond operational effectiveness and become strategic.
The guiding principles of a united environmental "green" movement must and will eventually be primarily long-term.
The values of the vital aspects of our planet previously considered externalities have now to be assessed to be incorporated into economic considerations. Progress in each of us fosters progress in the others, resulting in the long-sought alignment of our global prosperity with the best interests of the planet seems not only possible but inevitable.
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5.?The Road to Sustainability webinar series
This new series will be broadcasted on our?YouTube channel?every Monday through 5 meetings from October 11th to November 15th, with a possible extension of the agenda.
Register here to get updates and content:?https://event.theroadtosustainability.com.
We will take the opportunity to explore in-depth the framework for sustainability conversations. You can find resources here:?A Fork in The Road to Sustainability.
The following schedule is based on our approach "roadmap and product management--the new framework for sustainability conversations." The sessions have an informative purpose and constitute sets of criteria to help organizations in their operations towards sustainability:
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6. Join the discussion using the framework for sustainability?conversations
As we intend to understand how we can reinforce what we’ve been attempting to eradicate harmful practices for so long, we’ve built our framework where we can find data to lead to better strategic decisions. We've created this venue to host discussions around sustainability and efficiency.
A five-pronged approach to help organizations achieve improved performance through attention to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and governance.?
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7. Weekly highlights
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8. Visual of the week
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9. Nevelab Technologies Partner Program
With climate change causing investment risks and opportunities through structural changes in almost every sector of the global economy, we believe that any collaboration launched during such turbulent times must benefit from the latest research on sustainability investment to make the best possible corporate strategic decisions.
These collaborations will allow us to engage closely with universities, centers of innovation, and institutions to incorporate the most current knowledge about investments and sustainability, in addition to enabling pioneering research in the sustainability and efficiency areas.
??We partner with world-class technology providers and system integrators to deliver unmatched sustainability innovation tools and value.
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10. Our world in data:?Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)
? More critical resources:?Real-time temperature???Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment
? Please consider sharing these numbers with your community by forwarding this email or tweeting?this.
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11. Resources and archives
??An animated presentation on YouTube to better understand sustainability?Introduction to Sustainability by The Road to Sustainability?.
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12. Podcast: "Corporate leadership, social interactions, and the future of work" series, interviews with sustainability experts, and a new series on "The Road to Sustainability"
?? We are launching a new season through November "Sustainability and efficiency, investments, blended financial models, social initiatives and social innovations."
??Subscribe to listen to The Road to Sustainability? Podcast on your favorite streamer?Anchor?-?Apple Podcasts?-?Breaker?-?GooglePodcasts?-?Spotify?-?YouTube?-?SoundCloud.
A series dedicated to corporate relationships, leadership, and social interactions. It's critical for companies to hire and develop more effective teams capable of moving their organization forward during both good and challenging times. The world is changing, empathetic leadership means having the ability to understand the personal needs but also of others, and being aware of their thoughts and feelings.
Sustainability is a fundamental part of every organization's culture, investment goals, and actions as a responsible business undergoing changes and being transferred between paradigm shifts. Experts and thought leaders from the sustainability field share their experiences and vision for a better future.
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At?Nevelab Technologies,?we support cutting-edge research, development, and demonstration (RD&D), which is key to achieving accelerated innovation and helping the private sector support economic growth, drive down costs for key technologies, and promote corporate leadership assessment sustainability and efficiency.
I hope this effort answers the many questions I get about helping?organizations embrace sustainability principles?and become more future-proof.?
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Information
???The IEEE Global Artificial Intelligence Systems (AIS) Well-being Initiative?is an IEEE program whose purpose is to ensure every technologist is educated, trained, and empowered to prioritize ethical considerations in the design and development of autonomous and intelligent systems. The Initiative is global, open, and inclusive, welcoming all individuals or representatives of organizations dedicated to advancing technology for humanity. Please reach out to me directly to learn how to join the Global Artificial Intelligence Systems (AIS) Well-being Initiative team.
???The Road to Sustainability?is a global network to build a more efficient, safe, and inclusive world. Sustainability is a fundamental part of every organization's culture, investment goals, and actions as a responsible business undergoing changes and being transferred between paradigm shifts.
???Nevelab Technologies?is a purpose-driven platform that leverages artificial intelligence to provide organizations with the tools to integrate sustainable imperatives while generating actionable insights.
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Disclaimer
The Road to Sustainability? is an initiative by?Nevelab Technologies?and is circulated for informational and educational purposes only.
Nevelab Technologies Research utilizes data and information from the public, private and internal sources, including data from actual Nevelab open data access. While we consider information from external sources reliable, we do not assume responsibility for its accuracy.
The views expressed herein are solely those of Nevelab Technologies as of this report's date and are subject to change without notice. Nevelab Technologies may have a significant financial interest in one or more of the positions and securities or derivatives discussed. Those responsible for preparing this report receive compensation based upon various factors, including, among other things, the quality of their work and firm revenues.
Organizational Psychologist, aggressive thought Leader, Evangelist, and Social Entrepreneur.Triple Bottom Line Advocate
3 年It should be clear to anyone that we cannot avoid the initial impact of chaotic non-linear climate change. What we can do is remediate on mediate and reduce the problem. One solution is the Urban Climate Defense Protocols.?
Founder and CEO @ Wild Intelligence | AI safety, cybersecurity, enterprise AI mission
3 年Tony Fish, Yangbo Du, I owe you both many thoughts for this one. Thank you ???? Gillian Marcelle, PhD, Deborah Hagar you'll recognize some familiar pieces ??