The opinions of the article do not necessarily reflect the position of Trajectorya. This post is the result of a co-operative learning exercise developed by participants of the Training Course Getting GLocal: zooming environment (Pärnu, Estonia, November 2009).
While world population continues to grow and resources are decreasing the business model still seems to be based on infinitive growth. Globalization is seen as the thrive to ecological problems, but this coin has two sides.
Small local businesses and micro-financing seem like the ideal solution for future economic model. Still there is no escape from the globalization brought about through internet, big multinational companies and open market. At one side of the coin we have the consumer who decides which companies and business practices will flourish and which will diminish. If the consumer prefers social and economic friendly businesses, then we can hope that sustainable business and responsibility towards community will be a (new)norm in the economy.
On the other side of the coin we have the role of IMF, World Bank and WTO who should tame the big corporations and banks. Perhaps the only solution to generate “green business” is to remove the gap between the rich and the poor economies, how otherwise could the developing countries commit to the international agreements of sustainable growth?
So we have a coin where on one side we have an individual, with their everyday decisions made in the supermarket . On the other side governments and international corporations who could regulate the financial sector and help developing countries to grow sustainably. Which one of them will count for more change in 50 years to come?
The importance to apply what for many years has just remained on paper.