Lessons Learned

Perhaps the most salient lesson I took away from the brief case proposals was the multitude of ways that companies can approach sustainability. Some of the companies proposed focused primarily on being economically feasible to promote their sustainable product, while other companies ask their customers to pay a premium for sustainability. Of the companies that required their customers to pay a premium, Keap Candles for example, there were some that would attempt to entice customers by offering a higher quality product in addition to a more sustainable product. In this way their product became a little more economically sound. The multitude of ways that companies attempt to become economically competitive with less sustainable, cheaper products illustrates the severe under appreciation of sustainability in our economy. It shows the state of market failure we are currently in. Our economy is failing to account for the negative externalities of unsustainable products, and as a result the much needed development of sustainable products is being smothered. The negative externalities associated with unsustainable products needs to be addressed. It is unclear whether the best option is through government subsidies or the creation of a new carbon market, but what is clear is that something needs to change.