How can business, governments and civil society work better together for change?
FORTUNE Magazines Senior Writer Marc Gunther moderated the two-hour dialogue. Summary of discussions raised from the debate Where is business now? From the US perspective Michael Golden, Member of the Board of Directors of the New York Times Company and Publisher of the International Herald Tribune, stressed that three perspectives should be considered when examining North American views on sustainable development: the governmental imperatives, the societal imperatives and the business imperatives. The governmental imperatives at the national level are currently focused on job creation and economic development, with sustainable development taking a back seat; and when a trade has to be made between the two, the government tends to favor economic development and job creation. Sustainable development has a bit more force at the state level. As a social imperative, people can make a profitable return on their investments by investing in businesses that are working hard at sustainability.
