Get Lit

I’m told that New Year resolutions are old-hat.  But at the same time we need goals and horizons to strive for.  I’m also told that if you make your commitment to a goal public, you’re more likely to achieve it, so with that in mind…

Sustainability, circular procurement and the environment have been a passion of mine for a long time.  I’ve had ideas in this area for a number of years. In 2019 I am going to do something positive about it.

My aim is to identify ‘enlightened’ suppliers and to highlight examples of excellent practice in this area.

The sustainability community will always claim that it makes commercial sense, but in reality it doesn’t always work that way.  Paying a ‘green premium’ when a business would be better off with the alternative option is a moral not a commercial choice.

Getting ‘Lit’ is understanding that becoming sustainable by compromising on good business makes no sense at all.  Businesses who are ultimately responsible to their shareholders will make decisions for commercial gain – regulators can redress the balance to an extent, but it takes innovation to be both sustainable and offer the best value.

Suppliers who are ‘Lit’ do exist.  They create value and a positive impact on society and the environment.  Businesses who collaborate closely with suppliers to get ‘Lit’ also exist – and this best-practice should also be shared and promoted.

Where did the term ‘Lit’ come from?  It was inspired by the kind of quizzical amusement caused by hearing a middle-class white teenager describe somebody as ‘woke’.    Originally a black activist watchword – ‘woke’ is defined by one contributor to the Urban Dictionary as:

“Getting woke is like being in the Matrix and taking the red pill. You get a sudden understanding of what’s really going on and find out you were wrong about much of what you understood to be truth.”

Lit is doing good by doing good business – not by paying more or compromising on commercial value to choose the sustainable option.  It’s an exciting idea and I’m up for getting ‘Lit’ in 2019.

Let’s make it happen.   Watch this space!