From Evolution to Sustainable Innovation Through Partnerships
“It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed” Charles Darwin
Since the emergence of the first Homo sapiens, ‘the wise man’, in Africa, partnership and collaboration has been a precondition for human survival and development.
In his bestselling novel Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari explains how Homo sapiens’ capacity for collaboration differs from that of other inhabitants of the earth. While ants and bees can work together in large numbers, he writes, they do so in a very rigid manner and only with close relatives. He continues with wolves and chimpanzees, who cooperate far more flexibly than ants, but only with a small number of other individuals that they know intimately. Professor Harari finally notes that Homo sapiens are more flexible in this regard and can cooperate with countless numbers of strangers, that is why the species has come to ‘rule the world’.
The 21st Century is no exception to this rule, since partnerships have emerged as a key precondition to business success and human prosperity. In 2015, United Nations member states, while signing up to the global agenda–a 15-year plan of action for sustainable development–heavily relied on the power of partnerships to fulfil their ambitions. There are 5 Ps that shape the Sustainable Development Goals: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnerships. Partnerships, reflected in Goal 17, promote collaboration on the local and global level among different sectors and institutions to achieve all the preceding 4 Ps and deliver a more sustainable future for all.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which instigated social, economic, and environmental (due to overconsumption of plastic) crises, has amplified the importance of partnerships to deal with the overwhelming number of existing challenges. The pandemic demonstrated the power of the influence of societal encounters on the well-being of the business sector in Georgia and world-wide. Business was one of the primary victims of the economic crisis. Companies recognized that it was impossible for the private sector to deal with the consequences alone, while standing aside would also do no good. Business understood that partnership with peers and competitors, with
the government, the civil sector, the media was a key to overcoming the crisis, to a fast recovery, and for the well-being of society.
According to the study Influence of COVID-19 on Corporate Responsibility in Georgia – 2020, carried out by Global Compact Network Georgia, during the pandemic, some business competitors and companies from various industries worked together in Georgia, combining their efforts to tackle the various societal challenges that arose. The desire to also partner with the non- commercial sector to achieve common goals has increased significantly. Of 1053 companies included in the survey in 2020, 56% of the large companies, 42% of medium-sized companies, and 30% of small companies expressed a desire to be involved in partnership projects with non- governmental organizations. This figure is considerably improved compared to 2019, where only 26% of large companies 27% of medium-sized companies, and 21% of small companies expressed a desire to partner with CSOs.
What caused such a shift?
The answer is simple: only PARTNERSHIPS could create and deliver the vaccine, retain jobs, deliver masks in a timely fashion, support the vulnerable and poor, ensure broad access to information and tackle many other issues.
If applied shrewdly, collaboration between sectors will be a key to further sustainable recovery of the world economy. It will be crucial for an innovation- and technology- driven future with peaceful and inclusive societies, strong institutions, safe and resilient settlements relying on clean energy and sustainable production and consumption patterns. Sustainability requires an effort by all and will benefit all.
AS ONE OF THE FIRST ADVOCATES OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY, HENRY FORD, EMPHASIZED:
“COMING TOGETHER IS A BEGINNING. KEEPING TOGETHER IS PROGRESS. WORKING TOGETHER IS SUCCESS.”
SO, LET’S MAKE OUR FUTURE A SUCCESS, THROUGH GOALS- DRIVEN PARTNERSHIPS.