Jeff Swartz, the ebullient leader of Timberland, has done more than most to show that sustainability can pay for a major brand. So his take on what the financial crisis means for responsible business is worth hearing.

Instead of being a threat, Swartz says, the financial crisis offers a huge opportunity for brands with a sustainability message. With public trust in business at an all time low, brands able to convince consumers that they stand for something more than profit should thrive, he argues.

Swartz warns brands not to underestimate the strength of anti-corporate feeling in North America and Europe. The anti-capitalist mood may have been best captured by protestors in London or activists who took a bus tour around the luxury homes of AIG executives in the US, but the sentiment is felt by many, he says. The anger many feel towards the finance sector could easily spill over to affect businesses in other troubled sectors. Put simply, business is facing a crisis of legitimacy.

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Novotel West Hotel, London, Evening of 4th May 2010
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