Jun 25 2010
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“ …one large company, Sony, set a goal of zero environmental footprint by 2050. The company has dubbed this mission its “Road to Zero.” Before diving into how Sony has approached its target-setting exercise, here’s a quick review of why “zero” is an idea whose time has come: In a resource and carbon-constrained world, the best scientists tell us, we need to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 80% by mid-century (it’s no coincidence that Sony picked 2050). For other pressing issues, society, governments, and the cold realities of science will demand even more dramatic changes. The word “zero” — as in zero waste, zero net water use, zero toxicity, zero child labor, zero fatalities, and zero carbon — will by necessity become a core part of business strategy and operations. (One large consumer products company is in the process of setting sustainability targets, which it calls the “Eight Zeros.”)
