Eco-Business was started in 2009 as an experiment of sorts in the run-up to the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen. The world had pinned their hope on “COP 15”, as it was also known, to produce a global climate agreement and shift the course of humanity’s development on a more sustainable path.
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As we all know, the talks were disappointing and an agreement did not materialize. But one thing COP 15 did succeed in doing was to raise the profile of climate change and put it on the global agenda such that international meetings by world leaders today are not complete without some discussion of the challenge and strategies to address it.
It was in this climate that Eco-Business was set up. It was also a response to the poor record of Asia’s mainstream media in reporting on climate change and corporate sustainability issues, and everything in between. In 2010, EB, as it is affectionately known, was incorporated as a social enterprise with the objective of providing a platform and voice for businesses driving positive change.
Today, EB has become the leading authority on sustainability for Asia Pacific. We are the go-to site for forward-looking corporate leaders who recognize that traditional business models will no longer cut it in an increasingly uncertain and turbulent world in which the population is rapidly growing, resources are dwindling, and citizens are increasingly discerning and demanding.
Many think EB simply means “green business” or “environmental business” - but we are much more than that. We represent the interaction between business and ecology, and reflect the interdependent relationship between the two. For there can be no business without the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide, and the survival of the latter depends on the actions and impact of the business community.
Today, on the eve of the UN’s World Environment Day, we launch our inaugural magazine and unveil our new corporate logo.
In many ways, Eco-Business Magazine, taglined Sustainable Business Matters, reflects the maturing of the sustainability conversation in Asia, just as it marks a turning point for our experiment-turned-enterprise. We hope this new platform will enable us to reach an even wider audience and engage more people in the conversations that will lead us to a brighter, more sustainable future. It is targeted at business leaders who may not wish to view stories on their laptops of desktops, but will enjoy reading the magazine downloaded on their tablets over a coffee at the weekend.
Along with the magazine, we have revamped our corporate logo to put more emphasis on the three pillars of sustainability.
The green and blue hues signify the natural resources and ecosystems that underpin the global economy while the grey element represents both the trademark EB ‘leaf’ and our aspiration for all businesses to be on the path to sustainability. Together they form the ‘little blue marble’ that symbolizes humanity’s only home.
Next year, global leaders will meet once again in Paris at the UN climate summit in an attempt to achieve what Copenhagen didn’t. Whatever the result, it is heartening to note that business community did not stand still in those years in between. Many have gone ahead to set sustainability targets for their organizations in the knowledge that it is not only the moral thing to do but also the smart move to make.
Through our stories we will continue to showcase these organizations and report on the issues central to sustainable development. We hope you will enjoy this inaugural issue, and stay with us on this journey.
