Impact movement and purpose driven economy
The key to solve and prevent these problems is the model and the strategy. We have the resources, the knowledge, the skills, the tools, the science, the information, the infrastructures, the funding and the organizations we need to address all these problems and more. We have and we are enough to deal with these enormous challenges, but we need to change the approach to problem solving.
Every problem can be solved through innovation, science, technology, political reform, education and collaboration. But we need strategy. And motivation.
Profit is key.
Millions of organizations and individuals want to be a part of the solution but oftentimes don't know what they can do, how to do it, or they don't have the right incentives to do so. We have been taught that there are only two options. Or making money or giving money. Or for profit, or non for profit. Leaving a huge space of opportunity in between, of what we can do to create an impact in a way that is economically or professionally beneficial for those involved in the solution.
We see an “impact generation”, a generation of all ages that is extremely concerned about the environment, equality, human rights, education, health and justice and our common future, and that would like to contribute to make the world a better place. More and more people are starting to become change makers and advocates, and most organizations have realized that sustainable development giving back to society is not an option anymore.
This social action is part of a wider invisible but omnipresent trend, and evidence of the “improve the world” movement, the largest social movement in human history. It is the movement of movements that started with civil rights and peace, and now it expands unstoppably in every nation under the umbrella of the UNSDGs.
We gravitate towards a purpose driven economy. An impact economy, where impact is at the core of every organization's activity, because the precise reason you can make money, is by solving an actual problem that makes the world better.
But we all need to pay the bills. And making an impact can be a good business.
The UN promises that achieving the SDGs brings a 12 trillion dollar opportunity. Even the investment sector is turning rapidly to impact investment, especially after Larry Fink, CEO BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, announced that sustainability would be a top decision making factor in their investments, looking for opportunities to maximize value creation and reduce negative effects of their activity. Many have followed, maybe after realizing how important it is to generate a positive impact, or maybe just to make sure their reputation survives the social pressure for environmental protection and social justice. Either way, it is a positive trend.
It is not about deciding between making money, being evil and destroying the world, or being good and giving away money to charity. Not anymore. There is a growing space in between, where companies and individuals can develop, be profitable and grow in a sustainable way using their resources to improve the state of the world with their activity. A space that's taking the lessons from CSR with the new approaches of the fourth sector and for-benefit enterprises to find the most effective strategies to help firms, large and small, understand how advancing impact does not need to mean sacrificing growth and sustainability.
The gig economy, the sharing economy, the smart cities, and the circular economy concepts are proof that we are gravitating to a new era of business, one that leverages the power of the technology, the collaboration between individuals, the resource optimization and the sustainability at the core. We are about to create an impact economy, where the core business of companies is to solve problems and improve things and make a profit for it. And the opportunity is massive.
