HUNTER LOVINS

Natural Capitalism, USA

Hunter Lovins is president and founder of the Colorado non-profit, Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCS). Named Time Magazine's "Millennium Hero of the Planet" in 2006, Hunter works with businesses, communities and governments helping them implement sustainable choices that enhance both quality of life and the bottom line. A professor of business at Presidio School of Management, she has addressed the World Economic Forum, the U.S. Congress, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and hundreds of major conferences. Hunter is no stranger to Australia, having toured all of the Capital Cities helping to launch the Banksia Award winning book ‘The Natural Advantage of Nations’. She keynoted the Business Leaders Forum and gave the Telstra National Press Club Address, among dozens of presentations. She has advised various Australian State and Federal governments, as well as companies and communities.

Drivers of Change, Using Natural Capitalism to Deliver Competitive Advantage

Companies and communities face challenging drivers of change. Collectively these mean that business as usual will not continue. Forces like climate change, globalization, the loss of all major ecosystems and rising prices for oil, water and many other resources will all drive change in businesses, communities and governments. These challenges can be seen either as crises or as opportunities, however. Recent reports from Goldman Sachs, the Economist, Innovest and IBM all show that the companies that are the leaders in environmental protection, social policies and good governance are more profitable. The leading companies are increasingly using what Hunter calls the "Integrated Bottom Line" to deliver outstanding shareholder value by doing business in ways that protect people and the planet as the basis of profitability.  Using case studies from small businesses to Wal-Mart, the world's largest company, Hunter makes clear how the sustainability imperative will impact all businesses.  She shows how a commitment to Natural Capitalism enhances every aspect of shareholder value. The principles of Natural Capitalism: buying time with dramatic improvements in resource use efficiency, redesigning how all products are made using approaches like biomimicry and cradle to cradle, managing institutions to restore both human and natural capital are being recognized as the basis of durable competitive advantage

Innovation, Creativity and Best Practices: Hope for the Future

Natural Capitalism's Sustainability Helix is an open source code that organizations and businesses can use to drive innovation in implementing more sustainable practices throughout their organization. Hunter will describe how companies can use this and other tools to unleash the creativity of their employees, attract and retain the best talent and built the business of the 21st Century. The tool enables a company to benchmark itself against competitors, and to set forth a strategy for the future.  The Helix provides a sustainable framework that helps organizations incorporate new ideas and technologies, and apply the useful bits across business sectors to inspire innovation.