Originally published: October 2013 by TED · Recorded at TEDGlobal 2013 (June 2013)
Shared Value: Business as a Force for Solving Social Problems
Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter asks why society relies so heavily on governments and NGOs to solve big problems such as climate change, health and access to water. In this TEDGlobal 2013 talk, he argues that business is the only institution that creates wealth at scale. When companies profit from solving social and environmental problems, a concept he calls "shared value", the solutions can grow far faster.
Key Takeaways
- Social and environmental problems often create real costs for businesses.
- Solving them, through cleaner processes, safer workplaces or healthier products, can improve profitability.
- Profit allows solutions to scale beyond what philanthropy or government alone can achieve.
Why It Matters for ESG and Sustainability Management
Shared value is closely linked to financial materiality: the ESG issues that matter most are those that affect both society and the bottom line. Learn how a double materiality assessment helps identify them.
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GreenCo is an ESG and climate risk advisory firm in Singapore and Hong Kong, trusted since 2016 by public and private companies and multinational companies. We have supported more than 80 listed companies with all-round ESG advisory under one roof, from strategy, materiality and sustainability reporting to GHG accounting, climate scenario analysis, ESG ratings and assurance. We can build your ESG framework from scratch, and our consultants stay actively involved throughout the whole project.
We use AI and digital tools to work faster, but AI is a tool, not the advice. The real value comes from our consultants' professional judgement: understanding your business, interpreting the rules, challenging the numbers and making sure every disclosure stands up to scrutiny.
Our Values
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Our Team's Professional Credentials
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- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) – CFA Institute
- Financial Risk Manager (FRM) – Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)
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