Sir Richard Branson tells the Ecologist what kind of world he would like to see his grandchildren grow up in and argues that organisations both public and private have a responsibility to ensure the next generation inherit just such a world........
The
thought of having grandchildren fills me with joy, although at times I
do wonder what sort of planet we are leaving behind for them to inherit.
From conflict to climate change, environmental disasters to the
economic crisis, the problems we are facing are steadily stacking up.
However,
I am cautiously optimistic that we can make the world a far better,
safer and more equitable place if business and enterprise sits at the
heart of the healing process. I firmly believe that it is our
responsibility to try and leave the planet in a better condition than we
found it.
As
a young man, the team and I wanted to grow Virgin because we were
having fun doing it. We took it day by day and if we spotted a chance to
develop the business, we grabbed it. However, as the company grew into
new markets, it soon became apparent that we were having an influence on
some aspects of public life. All organizations, be they public or
private, have a responsibility to exert a positive influence on society.
Governments
and businesses need to work together for the benefit of everyone. It
should no longer be just about typical "corporate social responsibility"
where the "responsibility" bit is usually the realm of a small team
buried in a basement office - it should be about every single person
taking responsibility to make a difference in everything they do, both
at work and in their personal lives.
At
Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, we call
this approach Capitalism 24902. It is focused on getting business
leaders all over the world, all 24,902 miles of it, to look at how we
can do what is right for our people (both the current and future
generations) and the planet.
I am fortunate that over 40 years
we have built a strong, capable and very independent management team who
look after the for-profit companies within the Virgin Group and allow
me to dedicate 80% of my time to Virgin Unite. Recently, we helped to
incubate and launch a new global non-profit organisation called The B
Team, which has started to frame a new approach to business where people
and the planet are priorities alongside profit.
A business is
effectively a group of talented individuals working towards a united
goal. If those goals are set using The B Team's framework, great things
can happen and improve the world we leave for our grandchildren.
Business leaders should think about more than the bottom line when
running a company. Even though The B Team is in its infancy, it will
move the business needle away from short-term profit driven returns
toward true returns benefiting people and the planet for the long run.
My
passion for protecting the planet and championing the green economy was
kick-started after I received a telephone call from Al Gore. He wanted
to show me his stunning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. His poignant
and elegant account of these issues really struck a chord with me as an
interested non-expert.
As a big buyer of fuel for our transport
businesses, we are very aware of the damage that oil and its greenhouse
gas emissions are doing to the environment. Nevertheless, the transport
industry has done a tremendous amount of good as well, connecting people
and uniting our planet. I envision for my grandchildren a world where
transport is more accessible than it has ever been, but more
environmentally-friendly as well. We hope Virgin Galactic will be at the
centre of this, with point-to-point space travel a possibility for the
generations to come.
Our airlines are bringing together the
industry and encouraging the main players to reduce carbon emissions
across their operations. This involves investing in new efficient planes
and engines, as well as developing sustainable, low carbon aviation
biofuels. I believe the future will see clean fuels produced from
materials like isobutanol, which will power planes without omitting
carbon. The healthy spirit of competition will move the industry towards
cleaner aviation.
Additionally, Virgin is tackling the barriers
to carbon reduction by overseeing a $25 million prize (The Virgin Earth
Challenge), which is looking for scalable, sustainable ways of removing
greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. We hope one day somebody will win
this most difficult challenge by coming up with a way of extracting the
equivalent of Europe's total yearly carbon emissions. The winner of the
prize will potentially save the world from all the consequences of
global warming - by far the most important thing any individual could
achieve.
I am also inspired by the work Virgin Unite has done
with Nelson Mandela to help bring together a group of global leaders
called The Elders, who work independently to resolve conflict and human
rights issues. It is this ethos of collaboration and innovation which is
at the core of my vision for not only my grandchildren but the
grandchildren of us all.
We are so pleased our children, Holly
and Sam, have embraced this philosophy and are working hard to bring
about positive change. Sam has set up a film production company called
Sundog Pictures, which uses the medium of film to inspire and engage
people on the issues he is passionate about, with films such as
‘Breaking the Taboo' bringing the failed war on drugs to many people's
attention. Meanwhile Holly has thrown herself into supporting Free the
Children, set up her own charity, The Big Change Charitable Trust, and
devotes a lot of her time to Virgin Unite.
It makes me proud to
see my children carving out their own path and using the fortunate
position they are in to help other people. To know that these values
will remain in place after I eventually go (not too soon I hope!) makes
me feel very comfortable about the legacy I will be leaving. This ethos
is visible across the younger generation, who are becoming increasingly
socially and environmentally-conscious.
Put simply, the kind of
world I would like to leave my grandchildren is a better one. I hope all
our efforts and initiatives will start a chain reaction that will
filter through the generations to come and positively influence the
world. After all, there is no Planet B.
I am fortunate that over 40 years we have built a strong, capable and very independent management team who look after the for-profit companies within the Virgin Group and allow me to dedicate 80% of my time to Virgin Unite. Recently, we helped to incubate and launch a new global non-profit organisation called The B Team, which has started to frame a new approach to business where people and the planet are priorities alongside profit.
A business is effectively a group of talented individuals working towards a united goal. If those goals are set using The B Team's framework, great things can happen and improve the world we leave for our grandchildren. Business leaders should think about more than the bottom line when running a company. Even though The B Team is in its infancy, it will move the business needle away from short-term profit driven returns toward true returns benefiting people and the planet for the long run.
My passion for protecting the planet and championing the green economy was kick-started after I received a telephone call from Al Gore. He wanted to show me his stunning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. His poignant and elegant account of these issues really struck a chord with me as an interested non-expert.
As a big buyer of fuel for our transport businesses, we are very aware of the damage that oil and its greenhouse gas emissions are doing to the environment. Nevertheless, the transport industry has done a tremendous amount of good as well, connecting people and uniting our planet. I envision for my grandchildren a world where transport is more accessible than it has ever been, but more environmentally-friendly as well. We hope Virgin Galactic will be at the centre of this, with point-to-point space travel a possibility for the generations to come.
Our airlines are bringing together the industry and encouraging the main players to reduce carbon emissions across their operations. This involves investing in new efficient planes and engines, as well as developing sustainable, low carbon aviation biofuels. I believe the future will see clean fuels produced from materials like isobutanol, which will power planes without omitting carbon. The healthy spirit of competition will move the industry towards cleaner aviation.
Additionally, Virgin is tackling the barriers to carbon reduction by overseeing a $25 million prize (The Virgin Earth Challenge), which is looking for scalable, sustainable ways of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. We hope one day somebody will win this most difficult challenge by coming up with a way of extracting the equivalent of Europe's total yearly carbon emissions. The winner of the prize will potentially save the world from all the consequences of global warming - by far the most important thing any individual could achieve.
I am also inspired by the work Virgin Unite has done with Nelson Mandela to help bring together a group of global leaders called The Elders, who work independently to resolve conflict and human rights issues. It is this ethos of collaboration and innovation which is at the core of my vision for not only my grandchildren but the grandchildren of us all.
We are so pleased our children, Holly and Sam, have embraced this philosophy and are working hard to bring about positive change. Sam has set up a film production company called Sundog Pictures, which uses the medium of film to inspire and engage people on the issues he is passionate about, with films such as ‘Breaking the Taboo' bringing the failed war on drugs to many people's attention. Meanwhile Holly has thrown herself into supporting Free the Children, set up her own charity, The Big Change Charitable Trust, and devotes a lot of her time to Virgin Unite.
It makes me proud to see my children carving out their own path and using the fortunate position they are in to help other people. To know that these values will remain in place after I eventually go (not too soon I hope!) makes me feel very comfortable about the legacy I will be leaving. This ethos is visible across the younger generation, who are becoming increasingly socially and environmentally-conscious.
Put simply, the kind of world I would like to leave my grandchildren is a better one. I hope all our efforts and initiatives will start a chain reaction that will filter through the generations to come and positively influence the world. After all, there is no Planet B.
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