This is how we make tomorrow possible.
This time, in the blog of how things should be: global governance and the environment. Governance is control, yet the environment is out of control. Well buckle up: charities are there to answer problems; and all our problems are irrelevant if we swerve this.
Rhetorical questions: what is so important that it defies boundaries, language, culture, economics and ambition? What is everywhere and affects everyone and everything, so is synonymous with the very environment in which we all operate? The environment of course.
But what can or should charities do about it?
All charities must only act in ways which promote their objects, yet not all charities have environmental causes within the scope of those objects. Only some charities (companies) have trustees’ legal duties which include taking account of environmental concerns, and even that requirement is vague. Whilst trustees of any charity might adopt an environmentally conscious approach to investments or the use of assets, they must do so only if it is in their charity’s best interests in financial or reputational terms or to maximise effectiveness. The Charity Commission publishes guidance on this area of decision making and, broadly, supports charities focussing on environmental sustainability if it maximises effectiveness.
The sustainability and protection of the environment is such a complex challenge; perhaps humanity’s virtually insoluble problem. It’s complicated, invisible, everywhere; detriment is delayed, science debated, agreement ephemeral, solutions improbable. And it needs the Eldorado of governance solutions: global governance.
But we need to try because it’s fundamental. As I said, all our concerns fade to nothing if we stuff this up. Whatever cause a charity promotes, whatever enterprise a business attempts, whatever country a government leads, they all function within the environment and are ultimately subservient to it. Yes, everyone has different circumstances and ambitions – but they will all fail if we all fail the environment. This doesn’t mean trustees have a duty to change the world; but we can change our approach. How? I’m coming to that.
Collectively we’ve tried somewhat to protect the environment, blithely ignored it, kicked it down the road, baulked at the scale of it. But what we’ve failed to do cohesively is to recognise it is life for us all and thus unite to support it. Truly uniting would need effective global governance, but that just creates another layer to the problem: who and how to do that. Again, this isn’t trustees’ circle to square.
So, we need something more fundamental than governance: protogovernance – a drive so universal that grasping it is uncontroversial and we can allow for interpretation. This is the ore from which we might refine a more universal governance. So when voiced, this needs to be a rallying cry; positive, demanding and urgent. Perhaps from this raw material we might then make tomorrow possible.
Make tomorrow possible.
Any person, organisation or government can get behind this. The delivery for us all will be different, but that’s ok, in fact this flexibility is essential for success. Global governance is surely unattainable and the crisis worsens meanwhile. So, a rallying cry is the only viable way to energise us to deal with the global challenge to make tomorrow possible.
And trustees? They have a duty to adopt and adapt this because everything relies on a viable tomorrow, including maximising the effectiveness of a charity.
