Yesterday give a speech and was part of a panel for students of the University of Cambridge’s postgraduate certificate in sustainable business. I spoke on the how global business and globalisation not only creates greater wealth but also goes hand in hand with cleaner environments (after the very early stages of development). I explained that food miles were a flawed way of measuring carbon emissions. Food grown in the UK is usually energy intensive, requiring fuel-heated greenhouses, for example.
The other speakers were Mike Clasper (non-executive director of ITV plc and former CEO of BAA plc) and the European Commission’s Christine Dalby (who coordinates the Commission’s sustainable development strategy). There was a lively discussion, with students drawn principally from company positions in corporate affairs and corporate social responsibility.