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January 11, 2012

In this issue:

> Survey on Social Activism and Rio+20

> From Listening to Exchanging to Collaborating

> Looking Back, Looking Forward

> Other News & Updates

Survey on Social Activism and Rio+20

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2011 welcomed the re-emergence of the campaigning NGO. A number of highly effective campaigns signaled a reinvigorated activist spirit as once again civil society organizations demonstrated how effective they can be in holding governments and business to account.

In the latest poll from GlobeScan and SustainAbility, a panel of more than 500 sustainability experts and practitioners agree that activists continue to play a critical role on the sustainability agenda, with four in five respondents agreeing that society needs activists to achieve meaningful progress. The survey also lays out experts views on the opportunity for Rio+20 Summit in June to advance progress towards more sustainable development.

Download full results

From Listening to Exchanging to Collaborating

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Stakeholder engagement, an essential component of corporate responsibility, has evolved rapidly since the idea of engaging with investors, customers, suppliers, NGOs, governments and consumers was first embraced by business.

In our latest Changing Tack post for GreenBiz, Jeff Erikson tracks the evolution of stakeholder engagement from passive and reactive approaches to collaboration and partnerships. He points to the need for diverse organizations to leverage each others' respective strengths to work on issues of common concern if we are going to be successful in scaling sustainable solutions and make the necessary shifts in markets, policy and behavior.

Read more

Looking Back, Looking Forward

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Looking back at 2011 gives us a strong sense of what might take hold in 2012. Transition was the theme of the year and the intergenerational component remains critical, so deeper engagement with Gen Y is sure to remain high on the business agenda in the next year.  Also, transparency and trust – enduring themes in corporate accountability – still prove difficult for companies and governments to establish and maintain. Following the resurgence of campaigning in the last year, it looks like a reinvigorated civil society will be set to exploit any cracks or weaknesses.

These and other issues are explored in our review of Ten Words, Ten Trends for 2011.  Read more on what we observed during the year, and let us know what we should be looking out for in 2012.

Read and discuss

Other News & Updates

> Exploring adaptation in the realms of cancer and climate

> GreenBiz on How to Become a Social Intrapreneur

> Hear audio from Dec 13 webinar on sustainable consumption