Ray Anderson: The business logic of sustainability

翻译人员: Tony Yet 校对人员: Qian Yue

Believe me or not, I come offering a solution

不管相不相信，我来这儿是要解决问题的

to a very important part of this larger problem,

我们面对的问题很大，

with the requisite focus on climate.

但今天我 只想就问题在气候方面的影响发表看法

And the solution I offer

我要提供的这一解决方案

is to the biggest culprit

是给那些

in this massive mistreatment of the earth

已经给地球造成巨大创伤、

by humankind,

以及造成生物圈之消亡的人

and the resulting decline of the biosphere.

带来的。

That culprit is business and industry,

罪魁祸首是工业和商业

which happens to be where I have spent the last 52 years

而这刚好是我1956年从乔治亚理工大学毕业之后的

since my graduation from Georgia Tech in 1956.

52年里一直在做的事情

As an industrial engineer,

我是一名工业工程师

cum aspiring and then successful entrepreneur.

也走过了从创业家到企业家的道路

After founding my company, Interface, from scratch

我白手起家，创建了界面公司

in 1973, 36 years ago,

那时候是1973年，36年前了

to produce carpet tiles in America

我们为美国市场生产地毯

for the business and institution markets,

我们的客户主要是 商业公司和研究机构

and shepherding it through start-up and survival

我经历了公司从草创到生存到

to prosperity and global dominance in its field,

繁盛到占领全球市场的过程

I read Paul Hawken's book,

后来我读到了保罗·霍肯的一本书

"The Ecology of Commerce,"

《商业生态学》

the summer of 1994.

那是1994年的夏季

In his book, Paul charges business and industry

在那本书里，保罗将商业以及工业

as, one, the major culprit

称作导致生物圈破坏的

in causing the decline of the biosphere,

罪魁祸首

and, two, the only institution that is large enough,

同时，这些商业公司也是唯一的

and pervasive enough, and powerful enough,

有足够的市场资源和力量

to really lead humankind out of this mess.

去引导人类走出困局的机构

And by the way he convicted me

顺便提一下，在那本书里，

as a plunderer of the earth.

保罗称我是地球资源的掠夺者

And I then challenged the people of Interface, my company,

后来我对我的公司员工提出一个挑战

to lead our company and the entire industrial world to sustainability,

我希望带领我们的公司以及整个行业走向可持续的发展

which we defined as eventually operating

最后我们对于我们这个石油依赖性很强的企业

our petroleum-intensive company in such a way

的新定位是

as to take from the earth

我们只使用

only what can be renewed by the earth, naturally and rapidly --

可以在自然界迅速循环利用的地球资源，

not another fresh drop of oil --

不再吞噬石油，

and to do no harm to the biosphere.

也不再对生物圈造成破坏

Take nothing: do no harm.

不从大自然索取。也不伤害它。

I simply said, "If Hawken is right

我只是简单的说，“假如保罗是对的”

and business and industry must lead,

那么商业以及工业就应当行动起来

who will lead business and industry?

但谁将成为领导者呢？

Unless somebody leads, nobody will."

假如没有人成为领导者，没有人会愿意行动的。

It's axiomatic. Why not us?

听起来很简单。为什么我们不成为领导者？

And thanks to the people of Interface,

多亏公司员工的支持

I have become a recovering plunderer.

我现在已经慢慢的从环境掠夺者成为环境保护者

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

I once told a Fortune Magazine writer

我曾经跟《财富》杂志的作者说过

that someday people like me would go to jail.

也许有一天，像我这样的人会被关进牢房的

And that became the headline of a Fortune article.

那个采访于是上了《财富》的封面

They went on to describe me as America's greenest CEO.

后来他们就称我是美国最绿色的CEO

From plunderer to recovering plunderer,

从掠夺者到保护者

to America's greenest CEO in five years --

到美国最绿色的CEO，也才五年的时间

that, frankly, was a pretty sad commentary

这本身也是对于1999年的

on American CEOs in 1999.

美国CEO的一大讽刺

Asked later in the Canadian documentary, "The Corporation,"

后来，加拿大拍的纪录片《解构企业》也采访了我

what I meant by the "go to jail" remark,

他们问我“被关进牢房”是什么意思

I offered that theft is a crime.

我说，盗窃是一种罪

And theft of our children's future would someday be a crime.

而盗窃后代的财富将来也会成为一种罪

But I realized, for that to be true --

但我意识到，

for theft of our children's future to be a crime --

要使得偷窃后代财富成为一种罪

there must be a clear, demonstrable alternative

那我们必须得找到一种可行的替代方案

to the take-make-waste industrial system

把现今成为人类文明之主导的

that so dominates our civilization,

“掠夺-生产-废物”式的工业体系改革过来

and is the major culprit, stealing our children's future,

因为这个正是偷窃我们后代财富的罪魁祸首

by digging up the earth

我们开采地下的资源

and converting it to products that quickly become waste

然后通过工业将其变为产品，这些产品很快又会成为废物

in a landfill or an incinerator --

被运到填埋场或焚烧炉

in short, digging up the earth and converting it to pollution.

简单点，用保罗和安妮的话来讲，

According to Paul and Anne Ehrlich

就是把地球资源变成污染。

and a well-known environmental impact equation,

有一个很著名的计算环境影响的公式

impact -- a bad thing --

环境影响——这是一个不好的东西

is the product of population, affluence and technology.

它是人口、财富以及科技三者相互作用的产物

That is, impact is generated by people,

换言之，影响是由人带来的

what they consume in their affluence,

人们所消费的产品

and how it is produced.

以及产品的制造方式

And though the equation is largely subjective,

虽然这个公式有很大的主观成分

you can perhaps quantify people, and perhaps quantify affluence,

但你也许可以计算出人口的数量以及财富的数量

but technology is abusive in too many ways to quantify.

但通常科技就很难量化了。

So the equation is conceptual.

或者说，这个公式是理念性的

Still it works to help us understand the problem.

不过它仍然可以帮我们理解问题。

So we set out at Interface, in 1994,

界面公司于1994年开始

to create an example:

通过实验

to transform the way we made carpet,

摸索生产地毯的新方式

a petroleum-intensive product for materials as well as energy,

过去，生产地毯都是需要大量石油和能源的

and to transform our technologies

我们需要转变我们的技术

so they diminished environmental impact,

尽可能降低其环境影响

rather than multiplied it.

而不是增加这些影响

Paul and Anne Ehrlich's environmental impact equation:

保罗和安妮的这个环境影响公式

I is equal to P times A times T:

I = P X A X T

population, affluence and technology.

人口、财富以及技术

I wanted Interface to rewrite that equation so that it read

我希望界面公司可以重新编写这个公式：

I equals P times A divided by T.

I = P X A / T

Now, the mathematically-minded will see immediately

假如你数学很好，你马上就能发现

that T in the numerator increases impact -- a bad thing --

T作为因子的时候会增强影响——这是坏事

but T in the denominator decreases impact.

但假如T作为分母的时候就会降低影响

So I ask, "What would move T, technology,

于是我问，“假如作为因子的 T

from the numerator -- call it T1 --

我们称之为 T1

where it increases impact,

我们希望这个 T1 可以扩大影响

to the denominator -- call it T2 --

而作为分母的 T2，

where it reduces impact?

我们希望其降低影响。这可能吗？

I thought about the characteristics

我想到了第一次工业革命

of first industrial revolution,

的一些特征

T1, as we practiced it at Interface,

T1

and it had the following characteristics.

主要包含以下的特点：

Extractive: taking raw materials from the earth.

掠夺：从地球拿走资源

Linear: take, make, waste.

线性的：掠夺，生产，浪费

Powered by fossil fuel-derived energy.

其动力是化石燃料

Wasteful: abusive and focused on labor productivity.

它也是浪费的：是带有侮辱性以及仅仅关注工人生产效率的

More carpet per man-hour.

我们只希望一个小时内可以做出更多的地毯

Thinking it through, I realized that all those attributes

综合考虑，我认为

must be changed to move T to the denominator.

T必须放到分母

In the new industrial revolution extractive must be replaced by renewable;

在新的技术革命年代，从地里拿走的，必须用可再生的东西加以取代

linear by cyclical;

将线性的变为循环的

fossil fuel energy by renewable energy, sunlight;

从化石燃料转为可再生能源

wasteful by waste-free;

从浪费到零废物

and abusive by benign;

从侮辱性的到仁慈的

and labor productivity by resource productivity.

从工人生产效率转为资源利用效率

And I reasoned that if we could make those transformative changes,

我设想，假如我们能够作出这些转变

and get rid of T1 altogether,

将 T1 彻底去除

we could reduce our impact to zero,

我们可以将我们 的影响降为零

including our impact on the climate.

包括我们对环境的影响

And that became the Interface plan in 1995,

这也成为了界面公司1995年的策略

and has been the plan ever since.

并且以后一直在执行

We have measured our progress very rigorously.

我们每一年都非常详实的计算我们的进步

So I can tell you how far we have come in the ensuing 12 years.

所以我可以很清楚的告诉大家我们从94年开始的12年里做了些什么

Net greenhouse gas emissions

温室气体净排放量绝对值

down 82 percent in absolute tonnage.

下降了82%

(Applause)

（掌声）

Over the same span of time

在同一时间里

sales have increased by two-thirds and profits have doubled.

销售额上涨了三分之二，利润翻了一番

So an 82 percent absolute reduction

这82%的温室气体排放下降值

translates into a 90 percent reduction

其中有90%

in greenhouse gas intensity relative to sales.

来源于产品的革新

This is the magnitude

这是很大一个数字

of the reduction the entire global technosphere

全球的科技界都应当知道

must realize by 2050

并且需要在2050年之前达到这一数字

to avoid catastrophic climate disruption --

唯有如此，我们才能避免灾难性的气候危机

so the scientists are telling us.

科学家告诉我们说

Fossil fuel usage is down 60 percent per unit of production,

因为可替代能源的使用

due to efficiencies in renewables.

在界面公司，化石燃料的使用量可以降低60%

The cheapest, most secure barrel of oil there is

我们发现，最为廉价的石油，是

is the one not used through efficiencies.

那些因为使用效率不高而尚未被充分使用的石油

Water usage is down 75 percent

我们公司耗水数量下降了75%

in our worldwide carpet tile business.

这对于我们公司整个全球生产基地都是如此

Down 40 percent in our broadloom carpet business,

我们的宽幅地毯生产所需的水也下降了40%

which we acquired in 1993

那是我们于1993年收购回来的

right here in California, City of Industry,

工厂就在加州

where water is so precious.

大家也都知道，这里的水是多么的宝贵

Renewable or recyclable materials are 25 percent of the total, and growing rapidly.

可再生或可回收材料的比例是25%，并且正在快速增长

Renewable energy is 27 percent of our total,

可再生能源比例则为27%

going for 100 percent.

并且将走向100%

We have diverted 148 million pounds --

我们也成功的将1.48亿磅

that's 74,000 tons --

也就是七万四千吨的旧地毯

of used carpet from landfills,

从填埋厂回收回来。

closing the loop on material flows

我们通过反向循环以及

through reverse logistics

回收技术

and post-consumer recycling technologies

成功的搭起了生产材料的回路

that did not exist when we started 14 years ago.

那是我们一开始的时候没有的

Those new cyclical technologies

这些新型的摆线技术

have contributed mightily to the fact that we have produced and sold

已经为我们自2004年以来生产和销售

85 million square yards of climate-neutral carpet

的八千五百万平方英尺的地毯

since 2004,

立下汗马功劳

meaning no net contribution to global climate disruption

也意味着，从结果看，不再会排出加剧气候变化的气体

in producing the carpet throughout the supply chain,

这是通过我们对供应链

from mine and well head clear to end-of-life reclamation --

从开矿到产品回收的整个过程的控制来实现的

independent third-party certified.

这是有第三方独立认证的

We call it Cool Carpet.

我们将此称为“酷地毯”

And it has been a powerful marketplace differentiator,

并且在市面上也成为了杀手

increasing sales and profits.

在销售额以及利润方面都有增长

Three years ago we launched carpet tile for the home,

三年前，我们推出了家用地毯砖

under the brand Flor,

产品的名字叫Flor

misspelled F-L-O-R.

这是一个错误的拼写F-L-O-R.

You can point and click today at Flor.com

你可以在Flor.com看到更多介绍

and have Cool Carpet delivered to your front door in five days.

并且可以订购，五天之内即可在家里拿到货

It is practical, and pretty too.

它非常实用，也很漂亮

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

We reckon that we are a bit over halfway

我想我们离实现目标已经走完了一半的路程

to our goal: zero impact, zero footprint.

这个目标就是“零影响、零足迹”

We've set 2020 as our target year for zero,

我们将2020年设为“零排放年”

for reaching the top, the summit of Mount Sustainability.

我们希望到那时可以成功的登上“可持续发展之峰顶”

We call this Mission Zero.

我们把这一目标叫作“零使命”

And this is perhaps the most important facet:

这也许是最重要的一面

we have found Mission Zero to be incredibly good for business.

我们发现，“零使命”对于业务发展是有极大助推力的

A better business model,

并且可以带来更好的商业模式

a better way to bigger profits.

更好的实现利润

Here is the business case for sustainability.

这就是可持续发展的商业道白

From real life experience, costs are down, not up,

它源自我的自身经历，我们真的看到了成本在下降，而不是上升

reflecting some 400 million dollars

从数字上看，就是在追求零废品的过程中，

of avoided costs in pursuit of zero waste --

我们有4亿美金的成本可以节省下来

the first face of Mount Sustainability.

这也是“可持续发展之峰顶”的模样之一

This has paid all the costs for the transformation of Interface.

这个节省下来的成本足以支付我们公司转型所需的花费

And this dispels a myth too,

这一例子也破除了人们一个迷思

this false choice between the environment and the economy.

即认为经济与环境是不可二者兼得的

Our products are the best they've ever been,

我们现在生产 出来的产品是一流的

inspired by design for sustainability,

因为它们都是在“为了持续应用”的原则下设计出来的

an unexpected wellspring of innovation.

这一原则也成为了未曾预料到的创新之源

Our people are galvanized around this shared higher purpose.

我们的员工也为这个更高的理想而振奋

You cannot beat it for attracting the best people

再也没有比这个更好的口号来吸引优秀人才

and bringing them together.

以及团结整个团队的口号了

And the goodwill of the marketplace is astonishing.

而市场的反响也是令人惊讶的

No amount of advertising, no clever marketing campaign,

其他任何形式的广告或营销策略

at any price, could have produced or created

不管花费多大的力气或成本

this much goodwill.

都没办法达到这样的效果

Costs, products, people, marketplaces --

刚才已经谈到了成本、产品、人员以及市场了，

what else is there?

还有什么没有讲到？

It is a better business model.

我认为这是更优的商业模式

And here is our 14-year record of sales and profits.

这是我们14年来的销售以及利润图

There is a dip there, from 2001 to 2003:

从2001到2003曾出现了下降

a dip when our sales, over a three-year period,

在那段时间里，我们的销售额

were down 17 percent.

下降了17%

But the marketplace was down 36 percent.

但同期的市场容量则下降了36%

We literally gained market share.

所以我们事实上是赢得了市场

We might not have survived that recession

假如我们没有采取可持续发展的战略

but for the advantages of sustainability.

也许我们就不会在那场衰退中活过来了

If every business were pursuing Interface plans,

假如每一个企业都追求跟我们一样的目标

would that solve all our problems?

那是不是就可以解决我们所有的问题呢？

I don't think so.

我认为不是的

I remain troubled by the revised Ehrlich equation,

我还是经常被这个公式所困扰

I equals P times A divided by T2.

I = P X A /T2

That A is a capital A,

这里的A是大写的

suggesting that affluence is an end in itself.

意味着富裕本身就是一个目标

But what if we reframed Ehrlich further?

但假如我们更进一步的重构这一公式呢？

And what if we made A a lowercase 'a,'

假如我们把大写的 A 换成小写的 a 呢？

suggesting that it is a means to an end,

这样一来，a 意味着财富只是到达目的的手段之一

and that end is happiness --

而目标是快乐

more happiness with less stuff.

多一点快乐、少一点占有

You know that would reframe civilization itself --

这也许会让我们重新构想人类文明本身——

(Applause) --

（掌声）

and our whole system of economics,

以及我们整个的经济体系

if not for our species, then perhaps for the one that succeeds us:

即使不是为了人类，也至少是为了人类以后的那个物种

the sustainable species, living on a finite earth,

一种可持续的物种，生活在一个有限的地球上

ethically, happily and ecologically

合乎道德的、幸福的、绿色的

in balance with nature

与自然相协调的

and all her natural systems for a thousand generations,

世代延续下去，

or 10,000 generations --

直到千代、万代

that is to say, into the indefinite future.

或者是延续至无穷

But does the earth have to wait for our extinction as a species?

但地球是不是只能等待人类之毁灭呢？

Well maybe so. But I don't think so.

也许是吧。但我不是这么看的

At Interface we really intend to bring this prototypical

我们界面公司确实是希望

sustainable, zero-footprint industrial company

将我们这个可持续的、零足迹的工业企业

fully into existence by 2020.

带入2020年

We can see our way now,

我们现在也看到了前面的路了

clear to the top of that mountain.

可以一直看到通往峰顶之路

And now the challenge is in execution.

现在需要做的就是执行了

And as my good friend and adviser Amory Lovins says,

就像我的好朋友、好参谋Amory Lovins所说，

"If something exists, it must be possible."

“假如某种东西是存在的，它就是可能的”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

If we can actually do it, it must be possible.

假如我们真的可以做，那就是可能的

If we, a petro-intensive company can do it, anybody can.

假如我们这个曾经严重依赖石油的公司做到了，那么任何人都能做到

And if anybody can, it follows that everybody can.

假如任何人都能做到，那就是说任何人都可以做到。

Hawken fulfilled business and industry,

给业界老大带来冲击

leading humankind away from the abyss

也有望带领人类走出深渊

because, with continued unchecked decline of the biosphere,

因为我们过去长期的从生物界掠夺

a very dear person is at risk here --

已经有人在遭受危险了

frankly, an unacceptable risk.

并且是不可接受的危险

Who is that person?

那个人是谁？

Not you. Not I.

不是你。也不是我。

But let me introduce you to the one who is most at risk here.

让我告诉你谁受到的危险最大吧

And I myself met this person in the early days of this mountain climb.

我在攀登这一高峰的早期就遇到了这个人

On a Tuesday morning in March of 1996,

那是1996年3月一个星期二的早晨

I was talking to people, as I did at every opportunity back then,

我在人群里走，那时候我经常这么做

bringing them along and often not knowing whether I was connecting.

我会把我的想法告诉他们，那时候也不知道自己是在创建新的联系。

But about five days later back in Atlanta,

回到亚特兰大后的第五天

I received an email from Glenn Thomas,

我收到了来自Glenn Thomas的一封电邮

one of my people in the California meeting.

我在加州的一次会上见过他

He was sending me an original poem

他送给我一首诗

that he had composed after our Tuesday morning together.

那是他在周二见面之后写的

And when I read it it was one of the most uplifting moments of my life.

我读完那首诗，顿时感觉那是我一生难得的喜悦一刻

Because it told me, by God, one person got it.

那首诗告诉我，有人体会到这个道理了

Here is what Glenn wrote. And here is that person, most at risk.

这就是Glenn所写的内容

Please meet "Tomorrow's Child."

“他就是那个正在面临最大危险的人，请读《明日的孩子》”

"Without a name, an unseen face, and knowing not your time or place,

“没有名字、没有面孔、不知哪里出生、不知何日降临

Tomorrow's child, though yet unborn,

明日的孩子，虽然尚未降生

I met you first last Tuesday morn.

上个周二的早晨，我遇到了你

A wise friend introduced us two.

智者为我们引荐了对方

And through his sobering point of view

透过他那沉重的观点

I saw a day that you would see, a day for you but not for me.

我看到了你也能看到的一天，那属于你，不属于我

Knowing you has changed my thinking.

因为你改变了我的思考

For I never had an inkling

我从没有想到

that perhaps the things I do might someday,

我所做的，也许有一天，

somehow threaten you.

会伤害你。

Tomorrow's child, my daughter, son,

明日的孩子，我的女儿，我的儿子

I'm afraid I've just begun to think of you and of your good,

我这才开始想到你，以及你该享有的好生活

though always having known I should.

虽然我知道，我更早就该开始想

Begin, I will.

我会开始

The way the cost of what I squander, what is lost,

我总是在想，我所浪费的、我所丢失的

if ever I forget that you

我却忘记了

will someday come and live here too."

有一天，你也会降生，也会生活在这里。“

Well, every day of my life since,

那天开始，我的每一天

"Tomorrow's Child" has spoken to me

内心都会燃起“明日的孩子”的记忆

with one simple but profound message,

它带给我一个简单而又深刻的信息

which I presume to share with you.

我希望可以跟大家分享

We are, each and every one,

我们每一个人

a part of the web of life.

都是生命之网的一部分

The continuum of humanity, sure, but in a larger sense, the web of life itself.

都是人类的一部分，甚而言之，也都是生命之网的一部分

And we have a choice to make

来到这个生机勃勃的绿色的星球上，

during our brief, brief visit

我们的旅程很短，

to this beautiful blue and green living planet:

我们必须作出选择。

to hurt it or to help it.

是毁坏它，还是维护它？

For you, it's your call.

对于大家，这就是带给你们的召唤了。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）