Page 34 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

NARRATING VALUES, SHAPING VALUES, CREATING VALUE 13

# OF ADOPTEES
Late Majority
Resistors

Early Majority
Tipping Point
Early Adopters
Innovators
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TIME
Figure 1.2 Tipping point for indifferent capitalism.

Some of that pressure is surely being exerted successfully by the more than 1.5 million
nonprofit or civil service organizations working at the grassroots level for social and
environmental justice issues. 20 And some of that pressure and influence comes from
companies large and small that have chosen to adopt a narrative of capitalism with a
difference—companies that believe sustainable practices provide opportunities for
significant value creation and are the right thing to do. These two constituencies—
grassroots organizations and companies conducting business differently—comprise
the early adopters in an overall sustainability movement. Increasing the number and
influence of early adopters affects the overall pace at which the diffusion of sustain-
able business practices occurs.
Reliance on the narrative of indifferent capitalism to restore our lands and commu-
nities is in many ways a dangerous proposition. Reliance on an alternative narrative,
the narrative of capitalism with a difference, offers up much in the way of an oppor-
tunity to avert the significant crises facing us. But what does it take for a business to
embrace such an alternative narrative? Does it make business sense? These two ques-
tions will shape the remainder of this chapter.

# OF ADOPTEES Late Majority
Resistors
Tipping Point

Early Majority

Early Adopters
Innovators

1 2 3 4 5 TIME
Figure 1.3 Tipping point for capitalism with a difference.