In its current May-June issue, HBR covers business and the environment for the third time this decade, introducing the forthcoming book (September) by Amory and Hunter Lovins and Paul Hawkin, Natural Capitalism.”
Hawken and the Lovinses suggest four major, interconnected shifts in business practices:
1. Dramatically increase natural resource productivity. “Wring out the waste of energy, water, materials, and other resources” in company production systems.
By using whole-system design, businesses can create technologies that
require a small fraction of the energy and resources used to provide goods and services today.
2. Redesign production according to biological models. Closed-loop manufacturing is an example of how companies can completely eliminate waste by emulating nature’s highly efficiently processes.
3. Change the business model. By delivering services instead of products, companies can create dramatic increases in resource productivity, competitive advantage, and profits.
4. Reinvest in natural capital. Companies “must reinvest in restoring, sustaining, and expanding” their biological resource base.
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