This week, thousands have flown across oceans or traversed continents to be in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Change Conference. There, politicians, scientists, rock stars, journalists, and academics will discuss reducing the carbon dioxide and monoxide humans are spewing into the atmosphere.
It’s intriguing to me that thousands of people, all theoretically committed to reducing their own carbon footprints, see a reason to be in Copenhagen, rather than listening in from home via technology.
The actual scheduled events, speeches, etc. can all be viewed at home. A few bloggers and writers on site could provide additional context. Yet, thousands had to go for themselves.
Two key reasons why they likely traveled reveals some workplace trends for the 21st century:
1. Making human connections in today’s global economy trumps carbon concerns.
A main reason why so many are in Copenhagen this week is to network — to meet other world leaders, scientists, activists, journalists. Sharing ideas, comparing notes could result in new ideas and innovations going forward. Moreover, making new friends and allies never hurts. Finally, even knowing one’s enemies better can be worth the trip.
Lesson for workplace trends: Even the most ecologically committed will likely commute to the office regularly (even if they telecommute some days), as well as travel to business and client meetings. They’ll do this not for the formal agenda, but for the informal spin-offs from unexpected encounters and conversations.
2. Being seen at the important meetings is crucial to many people’s personal “brands.” One reason leaders like U.S. President Obama and Canadian PM Harper are going is because a significant number of voters at home are concerned that their country’s government is not doing enough to help the environment. Other aspiring green leaders would not be considered “players” if they were not there, mingling, networking, and being seen.
Lesson for workplace trends: Image is important. And again, appears to trump carbon concerns. (I assume some at the climate change conference will “green wash” their trips by purchasing “offsets” involving planting trees in Africa — but this is not the same as not flying or driving in the first place.)
There are likely additional lessons, but those two stand out for me.
Your thoughts?
December 8th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I still think that being there is far more efficient that teleconferencing in. The real meat of the work is usually done between the formal meetings when people are milling around.
Also, it’s much easier to make a point in person than to do it over a teleconference line. If they really want to get stuff done, then being there in person is the most efficient even if it produces more emissions.
December 8th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Yes, there is a confluence of “image is everything”, “networking” and “really getting things done”. But anything that “really gets done” was resolved long-distance before anyone arrived in Denmark.
That was my experience in corporate meetings. A few telephone calls before the event set the agenda and most of the outcomes. We were surprised when any meeting-outcome did not match what we had pre-arranged.
December 9th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Unfortunately, or fortunately, Global Warming is not real. It’s a fraud to remove your sovereignty as a nation, and then eventually as a individual. Look at the facts. Read the thousands of hacked emails of leading scientists on climate change discussing how to “fix” the data. Don’t just believe the hype. Trees breath Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide isn’t making the earth warmer. It’s a fact. Currently, John Coleman and 30,000 scientists are suing Al Gore for fraud.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Mike L. I agree to a point, although find that a reason to get everyone involved in a major corporate decision actually sit in the same room can be to make sure everyone is “reading” and “hearing” the same points and issues. In short, to make sure we’re all on the same page and singing the same tune.
Ken — I agree that Al Gore poorly expressed and represented science, but that doesn’t mean the world isn’t getting warmer. The planet has always been changing, temperature, atmosphere, etc. We have human history and geologic history to prove this. From what I’ve read (and having a Ph.D. in modern world history I’ve read a lot about human experiences over the past 500 years), I think the world is warmer today than a hundred years ago. Whether humans are the main cause, that’s where I’m still skeptical. But, as I’ve written on allaboutcities.ca, all this carbon monoxide and other pollutants is so bad for urban people’s health that reducing it — for whatever reason — would be a good thing.