BSR Insight

A Weekly Newsletter for BSR Members | November 8, 2011

   
 

In This Issue

Editor's Note

Reflections From the BSR Conference 2011

Last week’s BSR Conference 2011, which drew more than 1,000 people from 37 countries, was a whirlwind of inspirational addresses, practical advice, and the exchange of new ideas.

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore expressed faith in business. “Sustainability is now on the agenda for so many companies around the world in a way it was not in the past,” he said. “This is now a global agenda."

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn called on business to avoid competing on sustainability. “We’re enormously competitive people, and this is not an issue where we should be competitive,” he said. “This is a point of criticality for mankind.”

After showing a series of photos of protesters from around the world, Strauss Group Chairperson Ofra Strauss asked the audience to really listen to the strong voices in society. “We have to start to talk with and not talk to, because as much as we think that we have a dialogue, we don’t.”

The underlying message from these and other speakers and attendees at the event was one of optimism. As BSR Vice President Kara Hurst writes in today’s feature article, we are empowered—as individuals, as companies, and as industries—“to challenge the systemic problems of the day with our own collective intellect and demand new ways of operating.”

As you reflect back on the Conference this year, don’t forget to share video highlights and session summaries with colleagues and others who weren’t able to attend.

Reflections From the BSR Conference 2011: We Have the Will—and the Power—to Act Department Icon

In Depth

Reflections From the BSR Conference 2011: We Have the Will—and the Power—to Act

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The BSR Conference 2011 speakers and sessions showed us that we are empowered—as individuals, as companies, as industries, and as part of society—to challenge the world’s greatest problems and demand new ways of operating.

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On the Record

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn Urges Business to ‘Peel Back the Onion’ on Today’s Global Challenges

Picking up the “wicked problems” thread from last year’s Conference, BSR Conference 2011 closing plenary speaker, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn, Buy offered a rallying cry for participants to “be relentless” in tackling today’s complex global challenges—even in the face of short-term pressures. He called this the “constant struggle between the tyranny of today and the promise of tomorrow.”

“The more you peel back the onion, the more you find there is to do. And I think that can be very, very vexing to businesses—and certainly to individuals. And I think you have to embrace that complexity around what it is we’re trying to do here. What we have to do is collectively be very, very excited about peeling that onion.”

—Brian Dunn, CEO, Best Buy (November 5, 2011)

Watch the most memorable moments of the plenary addresses on BSR's YouTube channel.

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Spotlight

Catch the Conference in Session Summaries and Videos

Here's how to enjoy insights from the 38 breakout, six plenary, and two I³ sessions, and interviews of Conference speakers:

  • Read the breakout session summaries, including highlights, memorable quotes, and an overview of the discussion.
  • View the video highlights from plenary addresses and speaker interviews.
  • Browse coverage of the event from across social media through an interactive story posted on our blog.

We look forward to seeing you next year at the BSR Conference 2012, October 23 through 26 in New York.