ECOmmerce

ECOmmerce: Leveraging Electronic Commerce for Global Ecological Benefit

So, what exactly is ECOmmerce?
Let me begin by offering what I mean by ECOmmerce. ECOmmerce is about leveraging the power of electronic commerce (e-commerce) to drive business in a global, virtual marketplace while minimizing our footprint for ecological benefit.

For the most part, the technology is available and evolving, the technical infrastructure is in place and building out, the bottom-line impact is proven and growing, and the environmental awareness is expanding and, most importantly, leading to action.

Setting the Context
Let’s start with a bit of the wit and wisdom from Yogi Berra, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you probably won’t get there”.

I believe that setting the overall context for ECOmmerce is fundamental in framing the opportunity to leverage the synergies of e-commerce with the goals of a sustainable environment. Of course, the context will be further enriched and refined through the collective wisdom of the global community, experience through application, and ongoing improvements through lessons learned.

Key components necessary to build the context include: an inspiring and compelling vision, the underpinning values that provide guidance for operating in this new world, and the urgency to ignite movement in a new direction. Once the “easy” work of getting started is completed, the difficult work, over a long time horizon, will be to sustain the momentum in a world that is faced with, seemingly, overwhelming daily challenges and often operates on narrow goals, self interest, quarterly results, and sound bites.

Pioneering Thought
Fortunately, a sound base of pioneering work has been compiled to build upon going forward. As a starter set, some of the pioneering thought on the future of business and ECOmmerce has been written about by Paul Hawken in The Ecology of Commerce; Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins in Natural Capitalism; Peter Barnes in Capitalism 3.0; and Tachi Kiuchi and Bill Shireman in What We Learned in the Rainforest.

For example, in The Ecology of Commerce, Hawken’s provides an urgent vision of redesigning today’s business model for environmental sustainability. As he states early on in the book, “The promise of business is to increase the general well-being of humankind through service, a creative invention and ethical philosophy”. High ideals and lofty goals for the most worthy of endeavors.

With respect to values, Kiuchi and Shireman speak to cultural values and how these values transform over time. The transformation begins with the old and new values, seemingly, being polar opposite; as change occurs the values begin to overlap; and finally, a new set of values that have been extended and built upon the old emerge and are embraced.

Lastly, to instill a sense of urgency for each and every one of us, these four books certainly lay out the data to get your attention. At times, the information and data border on overwhelming with respect to the environment, and the immense global challenges that are rushing towards us with each passing day.

Going Forward
I am most interested in hearing your thoughts on how we can create a future that furthers commerce in innovative ways and is environmentally sustainable.


ECOmmerce4W (ECOmmerce for world)