Tuna and Corporate Governance: the sustainability element.
Time Magazine, 9 November 2009, runs and article on how our appetite for Tuna is killing off one of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures. Graphs show how the BlueFin, YellowFin and BigEye species are not replenishing fast enough. These are used mostly for sashimi, with Japan consuming over 80% of global production. At the same time, the West is catching up on sushi consumption, but the alarming statistic is that the West’s demand for canned tuna (Skipjack and Albacore) has caused supplies in some areas - in the last year - to have dropped by 50%.
Upon becoming an esteemed member of the Institute of Directors (South Africa), I received a comprehensive “Director’s Toolkit”. In amongst the range of topics covered in the toolkit, is the Sustainability Handbook, described on the first page as “A comprehensive guide to responsible corporate behaviour and sustainable business practices across the triple-bottom-line”.
A few weeks ago, I attended the launch of the King III Code of Good Governance. “King II” preceded “King III” in 2002, known as the King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa. King II made an important contribution to the understanding of corporate governance and corporate citizenship in South Africa, and has been studied and applied globally. King III focuses on leadership, sustainability and corporate leadership.
Placing the spotlight on sustainability, it is clear that enterprises (read organizations) must know that they cannot continue to operate without understanding their impact on society, the environment and stakeholders.
King III advocates a shift from sustainability reporting to integrated performance. This means that enterprises must create and implement and monitor processes that link effective leadership, sustainability policies, innovation, fairness and collaboration into strategies and processes for sustainability, which in turn must deliver the enterprise promise (vision).
In the meantime, what do I do whilst enterprises, private and government, strategise, plan and decide on how to be sustainability focused?
1. I can get an online guide that shows what fish I should order or buy.
2. I can speak to my sushi chef and ask: is this tuna from a sustainable source. I will probably decline the tuna if I don’t like what I hear.
3. When the need for a tuna mayo on rye comes my way, before buying the can, I will check the label to see if the tuna was sourced from sustainable pole and line fishing.
4. And I will check in on WWF and see where and how I can help to increase marine reserves.
That is my contribution to corporate governance in the enterprise of my being a citizen of this earth.
Upon becoming an esteemed member of the Institute of Directors (South Africa), I received a comprehensive “Director’s Toolkit”. In amongst the range of topics covered in the toolkit, is the Sustainability Handbook, described on the first page as “A comprehensive guide to responsible corporate behaviour and sustainable business practices across the triple-bottom-line”.
A few weeks ago, I attended the launch of the King III Code of Good Governance. “King II” preceded “King III” in 2002, known as the King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa. King II made an important contribution to the understanding of corporate governance and corporate citizenship in South Africa, and has been studied and applied globally. King III focuses on leadership, sustainability and corporate leadership.
Placing the spotlight on sustainability, it is clear that enterprises (read organizations) must know that they cannot continue to operate without understanding their impact on society, the environment and stakeholders.
King III advocates a shift from sustainability reporting to integrated performance. This means that enterprises must create and implement and monitor processes that link effective leadership, sustainability policies, innovation, fairness and collaboration into strategies and processes for sustainability, which in turn must deliver the enterprise promise (vision).
In the meantime, what do I do whilst enterprises, private and government, strategise, plan and decide on how to be sustainability focused?
1. I can get an online guide that shows what fish I should order or buy.
2. I can speak to my sushi chef and ask: is this tuna from a sustainable source. I will probably decline the tuna if I don’t like what I hear.
3. When the need for a tuna mayo on rye comes my way, before buying the can, I will check the label to see if the tuna was sourced from sustainable pole and line fishing.
4. And I will check in on WWF and see where and how I can help to increase marine reserves.
That is my contribution to corporate governance in the enterprise of my being a citizen of this earth.
Labels: ethics, governance, green, process optimisation, sustainability
