What is Green 2.0?
That was my question, too, when I started working on the track about 6 weeks ago. No one was quite sure, at that time, so I got to develop a definition based on some preliminary observations.
- People working in and with “green” businesses are driving for better integration of environmental and social sustainability. A 1.0 product was better in the use phase, but a 2.0 solution company operates sustainably across the supply chain and through product end-of-life, with care for environment, employees and community stakeholders throughout.
- Environmental conservation efforts include livelihoods for people in conservation development, so that people and ecosystems sustain each other over the long term. These efforts increasingly include business models and market tools. 1.0 preserves and restores ecosystems, while 2.0 incorporates people within the ecosystem by ensuring livelihoods that are suitable for ecosystems, such as agro-ecology, eco-tourism, income from carbon reduction and other market solutions.
The two definitions need to work together in a single conference track. Conversation by conversation, I continue to assemble puzzle pieces. For example:
- Jeffrey Hollender mentions Dr. Hauschka, which has a long history of sourcing biodynamically farmed ingredients for its skincare products.
- Sustainable boutique hotel PlayaViva is working with both Root Capital and Conservation International’s Verde Ventures as it seeks to generate jobs, restore ecosystems and save the sea turtles.
- Conservation development projects share some needs, such as access to a carbon or other market for income, but are unique to place, so funding at scale presents challenges.
- From their work with fish and water projects, Cheryl Dahle and April Rinne pointed out that point solutions are insufficient to create lasting change – cross-sector partnerships and systems thinking are really required.
As I began exploring these and other examples, some themes began to emerge. They form the skeleton of Green 2.0: Sustaining People & Planet .
Stay tuned for developments.
