Members of the board, for instance, are aware of the climate change issue but there is no framework to aid strategic decision making on, for example, fossil fuel generating capacity within the Group. The company planned to move beyond simply identifying problems, to establishing how strategically significant environmental issues might be managed. The Environment Council also had a proven track record in promoting, creating and managing stakeholder dialogues . The oil industry, for instance, is constantly discovering new sources. The challenge it faces is whether the atmosphere, the sink , has the capacity to absorb the fossil carbon released through burning its products without affecting the climate.
Innovation can include incremental changes or improvements in a technology.
The most significant environmental innovations are those which render an existing technology or technique obsolete. Even a solution incorporating both technological improvement and environmental benefit may not be universally welcome. Wind power, for instance, may be a sustainable source of energy but proposed developments may be adversely affected by conflict over siting and public acceptability. Firstly, there had to be managers from throughout the organisation to ensure a wide range of internal expertise and opinions were involved. Secondly, managers needed to listen to the views of outside experts concerned with the development and future of the sector.