Date: 2025-08-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00006132
ABOUT
FORUM FOR THE FUTURE
The #theBIGshift campaign
FORUM FOR THE FUTURE
The #theBIGshift campaign
Original article:
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
#theBIGshift
At Forum for the Future, we believe it is critical to transform the key systems we rely on to ensure a sustainable future. We also understand that no single company or organisation can make a genuine shift towards a sustainable future on its own.
We help business, government and other organisations to think beyond the borders of their own businesses and see how they can shape and influence the whole sector within which they operate - whether that be food, energy or beyond.
The #theBIGshift campaign reflects 17 years’ experience working in partnership with pioneering businesses on futures analysis and system innovation, and demonstrates how significant change is possible if we work to solve complex sustainability challenges together.
Businesses which fail to rise to the sustainability challenge run the risk of falling behind the competition or going out of business altogether. In the autumn of 2013, we conducted a survey of business leaders in our Network and found that not only did 98% say that firms that fail to adopt robust sustainability programmes risk failure, but every respondent agreed that the sustainability agenda presented genuine opportunities for their business.
If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to join #theBIGshift towards a sustainable future. And don’t just take our word for it. Here are some of the thoughts and views of industry leaders supporting #theBIGshift campaign:
“The only way we will achieve success in creating a better world for all of us is if we work together. System innovation crosses competitors, governments and borders to create that change”
Karen Hamilton, Vice President of Sustainable Business, Unilever
'Expecting different results when you are doing things under the existing conditions is, as Einstein famously said, insanity. That’s why systems change is so important. If we’re striving for a new goal that sees businesses striving for ‘better’, we need to change the conditions to enable us to achieve that.'
Richard Gillies, Group Sustainability Director, Kingfisher
“We want to build a business that is durable for the long-term. We know that simply being good for Sky isn't enough. To achieve lasting success for shareholders, we must be good for our customers, employees, partners and the wider community'
Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive, Sky
“[...]sustainability is not a bolt on; making a positive impact and creating wider value is fully aligned with our commercial ambitions. We fully support Forum for the Future’s Big Shift initiative and we are continuing to explore new ways to better embed sustainability into the DNA of our business.”
Mark Gough, Head of Sustainability, The Crown Estate
“Forum have played an important role in making Marks and Spencer’s Plan A ambitious and successful. As a result, we’ve seen first-hand the commercial benefits of embedding sustainability thinking across our business. But there is so much more we can achieve. Forum are now helping us innovate for the future, challenging us constantly to think about how we can lead with others to change the system and giving us the confidence to act.”In these short videos, senior management from our Partners Nike, Unilever, Shell Foundation and AkzoNobel explain why they're working with Forum for the Future on #theBIGshift. Share their inspiring and practical stories with your colleagues today.
Mike Barry, Director of Plan A, Marks and Spencer
See Below
Ways you can help make #theBIGshift happen today:
Get in touch! Contact Stephanie Draper or Anna Birney to find out how you can work with us to identify the big challenges your business needs to solve and together we can create #theBIGshift Join the Forum Network and become part of a unique network of more than 100 organisations at the leading edge of sustainability, working together to increase the pace of change Join #theBIGshift conversation on twitter, and follow us on LinkedIn
Watch and share #theBIGshift videos
We developed this illustration below which pin-points the moment AkzoNobel's senior management experienced the need for change - they needed to create #theBIGshift. We're working with our Partners, like AkzoNobel, to meet complex but key sustainability issues within their industries.
Related links:
Join #theBIGshift and Lead the Transformation to a Sustainable Future - Sally Uren's guest blog in Huffington Post
Read our in-depth report on how we can create big shifts in whole systems\
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Join #theBIGshift conversation on Twitter
Why business needs #theBIGshift - a Green Futures feature
Further examples of #theBIGshift in action: Nike, Sustainable Shipping Initiative, Community Energy Coalition, Farming Futures
In the press:
Management Today - Want Sustainability? Keep Quiet. Sally Uren provides tops tips on how to progress a sustainability agenda without top level support New Statesman - A little more conversation and action: The business case for sustainable consumption. Sally Uren highlights the role of business in the sharing economy Huffington Post - No visionary CEO required! All you need is a bit of ‘quiet leadership'. Sally Uren shares expert advice on how to progress with a sustainability agenda without boardroom buy in International Business Times - Why collaboration, not competition, is the new buzz word in the boardroom. Sally Uren outlines why collaboration is critical for a business edge #theBIGshift @forum4thefuture
Unused paint was seen as an industry problem until @AkzoNobel's #theBIGshift created an opportunity [illustration]: http://t.co/163zEV8K0R 36 min 33 sec ago @ClimateGroup Thank you for sharing #theBIGshift! :) 54 min 52 sec ago We want your (difficult & awkward) questions for when @Unilever boss Paul Polman joins our #theBIGshift Q&A on Mon: http://t.co/Ios9kgfa1P 57 min 29 sec ago
h.fantaskis@forumforthefuture.org
Questions for Paul Polman & Jonathon Porritt
I watched a great video of Paul Polman being interviewed at Capitalism 2.0 in 2012. He referred to more than 50 indicators being used inside the company (Unilever) to help move the company in the direction of true sustainability. What are some of these indicators and how can they become a universal framework for sustainability performance measurement?
Peter Burgess - TrueValueMetrics
Multi Dimension Impact Account
____________
Peter Burgess
TrueValueMetrics ... Meaningful Metrics for a Smart Society
Multi Dimension Impact Accounting
http://www.truevaluemetrics.org/DBadmin/DBtxt001.php?vv1=txt20080001
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Pass it on - #theBIGshift
forumforthefuture96 forumforthefuture96·79 videos
Published on Nov 27, 2013
Why are global businesses taking part in #theBIGshift? Find out in this video.
Karen Hamilton ... Unilever
Santiago Gowland ... Nike
David Brunt ... Akzo Nobel
Chris West ... Shell Foundation