Notes by Martin Grimshaw
Our first meeting was largely welcomed by participants as a good start, quite constructive.
In truth, we are just getting to know each other, bounce thoughts about and feel around for some sense of direction. We watched together the film 'Money As Debt', which was much more stimulating than it might sound.
Instead of bullet point minutes / action points then, I've jotted down here the main thoughts expressed at the meeting, which do not have consensus agreement.
Next meeting is Wednesday 23 Jan 08 at 7.15pm, Brighton Media Centre, 68 Middle St, Brighton. Agenda to be confirmed, but mainly carrying on where we left off last time.
We did not achieve what we set out to do, to assess the work of the Lewes group and reach agreement about what the purpose of the group should be.
It took us quite a while just to each talk about our hopes, motivations and ideas...which were:
- If we are a community response to Climate Change & Peak Oil, then business is a vital part of that community, helping to provide for the city's needs. A sustainable business model is an attempt to rethink how those needs are met. We need a summary of the problems, we need to listen to the business community and its needs.
- Need to assess our own values, needs and motivation. The group will need to integrate a range of opinions, but there is a general feeling that we are facing a significant and immediate risk, with a dramatically more pessimistic view than the mainstream.
- What we want is a thriving and resilient economy, with people empowered to participate, with a more positive social and environmental business impact. We will need to rethink the links between wealth and happiness. We are engaged in the process of 'future-proofing'.
- We want B&H to be a shining beacon of best practice, of international interest.
- We need to assess what other groups are already doing and what gaps our group can fill; what makes us unique and useful? We will act as an interface between business & economic needs and social & environmental needs.
- We need to facilitate and enable the transition from old to new paradigms.
- We will reach out and support a city-wide network focussed on the transition to a low carbon economy, incorporating and working with all other groups. We should be realistic about what we can achieve with the time and skills that we have; we should not underestimate what we can achieve together.
- We need to demonstrate that we have solutions, which involves making decisions about where we position ourselves, according to our own capacity. What is the most useful and effective thing this group can do?
- There is much misinformation. We need to be a trustworthy source of info and act as a mouthpiece / focal point.
- Some business is fundamentally destructive and we need change at a fundamental level. While reduction of negative impacts is always welcome, it is often merely Greenwash, a smokescreen to detract attention from major impacts. While big business has a large impact, we might choose to focus on small business as more important to our community, since profits are more likely to stay local and be of greater economic benefit.
- We should support existing small and green businesses and play our role in community building. We want business with integrity. We want to nurture an economy in which green business can thrive. Ultimately that will might bring us face to face with market / consumer apathy [the public, when put on the spot, usually does care, until faced with a bargain pair of jeans for a £tenner, at which point they 'forget'].
- This is a design challenge, of matching our money system, economy, business models with our values, constraints (natural capacity) and needs.
- Our work will overlap with that of other groups. When addressing the greening of business, we will also be interested in the greening of energy sources and transport.
- We will need to address green procurement, supply chain management, organisational development, triple bottom line accounting and similar tools; we will have to face up to internalising traditional externalities (the items which historically don't appear on balance sheets, such as employee mortality rates, resource depletion or biodiversity).
- We need to help design an Energy Descent Plan for the city. We need to be serious about mobilisation and making it happen.
Present:
Martin G, John B, Chris B, Doly G, Charlie D, Jo N, Simon B, Kate M, David G, Michael P, Don E, Keith M
