Not to say that corporations are perfect today, but even grand corporations like Dupont have made immense progress in translating some of their past environmentally damaging practices into new profit opportunities.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Sustainable development is a fundamental break that's going to reshuffle the entire deck. There are companies today that are going to dominate in the future simply because they understand that.
The most meaningful engine of change, powerful enough to confront corporate power, may be not so much environmental quality, as the economic development and growth associated with the effort to improve it.
The good news about building a company during times like this is that the companies that do succeed are going to be extremely strong and resilient.
There were some entrepreneurial du Ponts that are a little different from the heads of the corporations today.
Companies that have been built and operated for a long time are the most successful companies.
I believe very strongly that corporations could and should be a major force for resolving social and environmental concerns in the twenty-first century.
The corporate world has the resources to improve the world. It's where people live and work.
Given the fact that we are in a capitalist society, we still do not want to overlook not only what a corporation produces and its profitability but also how it impacts the environment, touches human life and whether it protects or undermines the dignity of the human person.
I have always been an advocate and was, in my last job at M&S, a supporter of the Al Gore dictum that a sustainable business can be a profitable business. We were the first sizeable company in the U.K. to prove that was the case.
Our goal is to make General Motors the most valuable automotive company. Clearly, that is having sustainable profitability and driving great returns for our shareholders.