Far from being a cost to society and business, sustainability is emerging as a huge opportunity for both. The key to sustainability is innovation, and that in turn spells competitive advantage, which economists define as above-average profits. If crisis is the womb of creativity, then there is plenty to spur innovation. The World Economic Forum's Global Economic Risks 2008 report states, "Uncertainty about the short- and medium-term future is as high as it has been for a decade." The world is now confronted with an unprecedented number of global systemwide challenges, from the liquidity crisis in financial markets to the threat of new diseases on a warming planet. The question we face is: Are we going to collectively wring our hands, decrying the declining state of the world, or are we going to get on with the business of constructing a better future?