EDITOR’S LETTER Think Global Think Fast

If we are to stand true to this magazine’s stated intention of exploring and explaining New Zealand’s place in fast changing world, we can do no better than look at global climate change. No story could be bigger than the threat of the extinction of our planet. If truth be told, few stories fall on deafer corporate ears.
For while our heads of business may tax their brains over tax issues, lie awake at night dreaming up staff retention plans and regularly return to the rigours of ROI, these challenges appear small-scale and manageable compared with the plight of our planet. More to the point, what can one corporate leader do? Or even one nation?
Yet, in very literal sense, we ignore climate change at our own peril. And while much debate centres on the scientific case, it is business issue. And it’s not going to go away. For, regardless of what individual business leaders may think is the true state of our planet – whether it is fine and dandy or heading rapidly to the dogs – market forces are conspiring to make us take climate change seriously.
So in this month’s cover story we have examined the business side of the issue and come up with nine compelling reasons why business leaders must care about climate change.
New Zealand already ranks high on the international scale of environmental concern. By and large, we do care about the state of our physical world. And we do step up to the expectations that we ourselves have helped plant and nurture in the past years. If nothing else, our clean green national branding depends upon it. Much is at stake.
The same could be said about the future of our schools – the topic of thought-provoking opinion piece by Palmerston North Massey University deputy vice chancellor (Maori) Mason Durie (see page 16). Professor Durie is also chairman of futures-thinking education project Secondary Futures which is charged with assessing the long-term educational needs of our nation. His thoughts make interesting reading.
There’s stack of other thoughtful and helpful commentary in this month’s issue of Management. Once you’ve chewed your way through that lot, don’t forget to flip the magazine and start on the latest issue of sister publication MW (Management Woman), which, as always, is stuffed full of uplifting and inspiring stories.