All in accounting
A report by Trucost, commissioned by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, found that if environmental costs are counted, almost no industry is profitable.
Perhaps we might pause and think about that.
If we take the all-in-accounting cost for the Earth to make the raw ingredients, for the tree to grow, the soil to be enriched, the forest to build its complex ecosystem, if we then factor in the costs of post-use, commonly known as waste or pollution, then we might rethink our businesses.
Someone will pay. Eventually. Or sooner than we have considered. 7 million people die each year from air pollution…and it affects every continent. 7 million!
I refuse to believe that the wonder of the human mind cannot solve for designing enterprises that profit in all domains, not to the extremes of greed that we see as the ‘holy grail,’ while also taking into account from day one the all-in-accounting costs.
This transcends the ‘circular economy’ which is an advance, but still incomplete, and has been co-opted by many as the new green wash.
This is a big challenge…I think we are up to it.
I hope you will join me as we become the map makers of the new models that factor in the all-in-costs from day one.
*Natural Capital at Risk, Trucost.com
June 12th 2019
Photo taken June 11th, 2019
