#24: WHO Report Echoes SCI's Call: Rethinking Investment for Our Survival
This week's focus is on a thought-provoking report from the World Health Organization (WHO) titled "Commercial Determinants of Noncommunicable Diseases in the WHO European Region." The report aligns perfectly with the core principles of System Change Investing (SCI).
Why? Because the report highlights the same critical issue SCI highlights: our economic and political systems are riddled with flaws that prioritize short-term profits over long-term societal well-being. This narrow focus, according to the WHO, has unintended consequences, leading to widespread public health problems.
The WHO report is a microcosm of broader society in the sense that it illustrates the types of systemic solutions needed in essentially all sectors and areas. The root cause of nearly all major challenges is the same – flawed systems. Therefore, one broad solution (system change) can largely resolve public health and other major challenges.
The report delves into the root causes of public health challenges, particularly non-communicable diseases. It illustrates how flawed systems compel companies to degrade public health. A primary system flaw is allowing companies to externalize costs and negative impacts (i.e. harm) onto society. In competitive markets, this often makes it impossible to stop harm.
Flawed systems essentially compel companies to oppose regulations, policies and other actions that protect public health, but threaten profits and investment returns. The report exposes strategies companies employ to block system change efforts perceived to threaten profits.
These concerning practices include:
Misleading marketing and biased research used to downplay the harmful effects of products and corporate activities.
Market power abuse to limit competition and manipulate prices.
Lobbying and political influence to block public health regulations.
Weakening employee health protections through control over labor.
Greenwashing through corporate social responsibility programs to enhance image and thwart regulation.
Strategic litigation to block effective public health policies.
Exploiting crises and emergencies for profit.
International trade agreements that prioritize business interests over public health.
Financial systems concentrating wealth and exacerbating poverty and health problems.
To address these barriers to public health, the report suggests that government, civil society and international organizations must collaborate to implement effective public health policies and regulations. In particular, it proposes that government and other public health actors more effectively prevent harmful business influence, identify industry-influenced, biased research, use evidence to support stronger regulations, and oppose litigation that blocks effective public health policies.
This resonates with the core of SCI: Aligning investment strategies with long-term societal well-being. The WHO report provides a valuable blueprint for achieving the systemic changes needed with a focus on improving public health outcomes.
SCI further amplifies these positive impacts. By addressing root causes, SCI has the potential to improve not only public health but also a wide range of other environmental and social problems.
SCI can accelerate implementation of the WHO report suggestions. It provides the whole system framework needed for effective system change. It also practically and profitably engages the financial and corporate sectors in driving the systemic changes discussed in the report.
Here's the key question: Will we, and more importantly, will investors, finally start to act on this knowledge? The report compellingly argues that deeper systemic action isn't just about safeguarding public health; it can also ensure continued economic prosperity.
Let's explore this further. Join the conversation in the comments! Share your thoughts on the WHO report and how we can leverage investment strategies to drive positive change.
And why not invest 30 minutes to discover how you can align your investment strategies with long-term societal well-being and business success. Book your free strategy call now!
P.S. A big thanks to the growing network working under the umbrella of Planetary Health committed to understanding and addressing the impacts of global environmental change on human health and wellbeing. We were particularly inspired by the work of Christian Schulz and his organization KLUG, who brought this important WHO report to our attention.