This runs counter to how sustainability advances are usually envisioned and to the general approach taken by the sustainability industry. Both emphasize environmental considerations as the priority and often seem to view any economic advantages as an afterthought or a fringe benefit. Take the World Economic Forum’s report on its Green Investing project, which “explores ways in which the world’s leading investors can most effectively engage in the global effort to address climate change.”3 The report allows that investors should be able to “sustain their long-term corporate assets and shareholder value,” but it does not acknowledge this as a critical part of the corporate mission. At the same time, it appears willing to compromise on long-run value by calling for investment in energy technologies that “may not yet be fully competitive with fossil fuels.”
