The ICT industry should not only commit to producing efficient green solutions, but must immerse itself in green practice as well. Likewise, ICT organisations must embrace their role in corporate social investment.
So advocated Sir Richard Branson, founder and president of the Virgin Group, at the opening of SAP's Sapphire Now 2010 conference, being held in Frankfurt, Germany. “Business should not think that government must resolve all the social issues in the world,” he argued.
Branson explained that the private sector has a lot to offer in addressing issues ranging from disease in Africa to environmental issues such as global warming. “Sixty- to 70% of my time is spent using my entrepreneurial skills looking at some of the intractable problems in the world.”
He noted that business people have different kinds of brains and different kinds of approaches and can, therefore, see ways of tackling problems that politicians would maybe not be able to.
Illustrating his point, Branson referred to one of his non-profit projects: The Carbon War Room. “The enemy is carbon, but there was no war room to co-ordinate the attack on carbon. And while there were many great ideas, there was no central command centre to fight this invisible enemy.”
The project is run by a group of entrepreneurs, who represent big industry, and collaborate on finding the best ways of reducing the various industries' carbon output.
Closer to home, Branson also discussed briefly The Elders project, noting this initiative is a priority for him. The Elders, headed by former South African president Nelson Mandela, brings together eminent global leaders who offer their collective influence and experience to resolve conflict and offer guidance to struggling countries.
Branson emphasised that companies should not view themselves as money-making machines only, but must realise they have a responsibility to tackle some of the major problems in the world.
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