Today's Diversity &Inclusion programmes strive to achieve and promote a more diverse workforce by creating inclusive environments where everyone feels safe, respected and valued irrespective of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, physical ability.

Government and corporate Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiatives and policies are primarily used and justified because they are seen to drive corporate value, economic growth and reputation.

Because of this, while they may be well intended (and even this is arguable) they are failing to deliver on:

• social and economic change
• equality (beyond a few non-white, non-male faces around the boardroom table)
• thought diversity
• environmental sustainability.

Equal societies demonstrate equal respect and opportunity for all, and strive to reduce the gap between rich and poor. Sustainable economies meet the present needs of the population while also avoiding depletion of natural resources.

At the moment, I believe we are failing to link D&I to E&S.

So, they key challenge as I see it, is how can we, as table members, engage in a dialogue to identify action opportunities that help us move beyond diversity and inclusion, towards equality and sustainability, and make strides to adapt our economic, business and social models to a more diverse palette of experience and ideas, rather than trying to force fit everyone into the existing models?

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INPUT REQUEST #1: Key Challenge

• What additional clarification would help you better understand the Key Challenge we are trying to address in this dialogue?
• What key ideas or questions did the Key Challenge statement spark in your mind?