23 May 2024 - The author launched his new book on challenging the foundations of corporate assumptions at CISL today.
Chris Marquis today delivered a special lunchtime seminar to University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership staff and local Network members.
Chris discussed his new book, “The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost”, which challenges the foundations of corporate assumptions, revealing how businesses often profit at the expense of the public commons and how we can utilise the lessons from it across CISL and Cambridge Judge Business School. This is a continuation of the great conversations that arose at CISL’s inaugural Global Leadership Summit in February of this year. And its supporting report ‘Global Leadership in an Age of Turbulence’.
Among discussing a varied array of topics from B Corporations to the regenerative narrative being a key angle for sustainability solutions, Chris said:
'What I discuss in the book is that so many people are focused on the silver bullets - that there's implementations or initiatives which will work it all out. Instead, I think we need action across all sectors of the industry. Policy is the eventual gold standard and how we're going to actually get there, but businesses can also play roles in innovation and model creation, as well as investment markets. Unfortunately, voluntary action is only going to get you so far.'
'There's incredible politicisation of the world and my home country, the US, is really divided and sort of frightening. But I hold a lot of hope from the EU. The policy changes recently are going in the right direction around green claims, reporting and due diligence. And while we've had a slight deglobalisation process over the last decade or so, companies are still deeply interconnected globally, and many of these EU regulations will eventually have a big effect on US companies too.'
He was joined by CEO Lindsay Hooper at CISL’s headquarters, Entopia Building, in Cambridge.