Business As Usual? Perhaps We Should Ask Nepal.

The danger was there. We simply chose not to see it.

Before we talk about sustainability, climate risk, ESG, or business resilience, my thoughts are with the people of Nepal. Families have lost loved ones. Communities, homes, roads, bridges and livelihoods have been devastated. Behind every number is a human being, a parent, a child, a friend, someone who expected to return home. They are citizens of Nepal, but they are also citizens of the same Earth that you and I occupy.

The Earth does not belong exclusively to those who can afford more of it. It does not belong only to those fortunate enough to buy a third or fourth beachfront residence, accumulate more assets and secure their children and grandchildren financially for life. There is nothing wrong with creating wealth. But surely we must question a model of success based on how much we can extract, consume and accumulate, while environmental consequences are so unevenly shared.

A family losing its home in Nepal may have contributed very little to global environmental pressures. Yet in minutes, they can lose what generations took decades to build.

And Nepal should make every board stop and think.

Somewhere, another board meeting will take place where sustainability is treated as an expense. Someone will question the return on investment. Someone will postpone climate adaptation. Someone will decide environmental risk is too distant to affect next year’s results.

Then everyone will comfortably return to business as usual.

But a flood does not remain an environmental problem. It becomes an infrastructure problem, an energy problem, a supply chain problem, a social problem, an economic problem and eventually a balance sheet problem. That is systems thinking. What happens in one part of a system creates consequences elsewhere.

Sustainability cannot remain a glossy report, a photograph of owners or employees planting trees, or a few ESG indicators presented once a year. It must influence strategy, investment, risk management, procurement, governance and leadership.

Perhaps every board should ask one uncomfortable question: What are the consequences of our decisions for people who may never become our customers, employees or shareholders? They may live thousands of kilometres away, but they still share our atmosphere, oceans, climate system and ultimately our Earth.

To the people of Nepal, my deepest sympathy. Your loss should matter to all of us.

As for those who still believe sustainability can wait because business must continue as usual, please continue with the board meeting. Apparently, the planet has simply misunderstood your strategic priorities.

Image created using generative AI.