Environment

Today's linear economy--in which natural resources are extracted from the ground, made into products, used, and thrown away--was successful in delivering economic development during the 20th century. However, global trends indicate that the traditional, linear model's ability to produce economic growth may become less viable, prompting a search for alternative approaches that can work in the long term.

A majority of business leaders say that a long term agreement at the UN climate summit (COP21) in Paris is critical to supporting private sector investment in low carbon solutions, according to a global study by the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture (ACN: NYSE).