An Economy That Is Future Fit Is A Sustainable One

U.K. based Future-Fit Foundation was established to help create a society that is environmentally restorative, socially just and economically inclusive. It has curated practical, free-to-use tools designed to help business leaders, investors and policy makers respond effectively to today’s biggest challenges. And the best part is that they are based on one unified methodology – the Future-Fit Business Benchmark – that any business can use to guide, measure and report on real progress.  

 
It’s no secret that systems and habits must change for the benefit of people and planet and, as Martin pointed out, we’re “heading very rapidly to some very nasty outcomes we’d all like to avoid”. So how can business respond to these issues?  
 
Future Fit is a strategic management tool for building a regenerative business and figuring out what change process looks like. It is underpinned by the “Natural Step” model developed in Sweden in the 1980s and its framework is structured for achieving goals aligned with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). 

There are eight properties of a future fit society – a blueprint for regenerative business. They include natural resources, renewable energy, waste, water, physical presence and fulfilling lives. The underlying drivers needed to achieve these outcomes are our social norms, our government systems, and what we define as economic growth.   

Future Fit’s model says to achieve a future fit society, business can only flourish operating within a flourishing society on a flourishing planet. But is it practical?  

Roger Robson-Williams says yes. Plant and Food, whose mission is to create the world’s most sustainable food systems, uses the Future-Fit Benchmark. Around five years ago, they started to consider the inadvertent harm that might be caused through their operations and wanted to show authentic leadership in their mission. They latched on to the future fit business benchmark for a number of reasons, said Roger. Firstly, it's free. Secondly, it's a genuine system that you can pick up, learn from and apply to your business.  Thirdly, it’s open and transparent. They communicate with the Future Foundation about things they think could be better and by consistently identifying areas for development and tracking progress, it’s a valuable, rational tool for assessing and improving sustainability.  

The event aligns with ChristchurchNZ’s economic ambition to move towards a regenerative economy - where more carbon is eliminated than produced and there’s a focus on reusing, repairing and repurposing materials, rather than ‘taking, making and disposing’ of them.  

“It’s innovation that is going to enable behavioural changes. There are local businesses already doing great things such as Aspiring Materials and Leaft Foods, so we need to capitalise on that innovation. As New Zealand’s second largest city with extensive industry, business and infrastructure assets, we are in a wonderful position to lead the change” says ChristchurchNZ CEO Ali Adams  The consistent theme that came from all three speakers was that a common language to communicate organisational interventions and their benefits is vital. The stories we tell and how we talk to stakeholders, investors, customers and staff is what matters - it’s a journey that everybody is on. Building a community of like-minded individuals is key to creating a better socio-economic system, rather than trying to convince those who are resistant to change.