But as the Red Cross pointed out in a , global warming poses a bigger danger than the novel coronavirus, with U.S. President Joe Biden calling climate change “the number one issue facing humanity” and “the existential threat of our time.”

“Both are systemic shocks,” explained Celine Herweijer, partner at PwC UK and Global Climate Change Leader, during a panel discussion on sustainability hosted by SAP. “We knew a pandemic would be coming at some point. We absolutely know climate change is around the corner. What we have to do to solve for climate change, unfortunately, is much more complex and just as urgent. We have to half global emissions in the next 10 years, which means radically transforming every sector of our global economy. It’s very complex and very urgent.”

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“The changing climate is no longer an abstract issue,” shared Richard Munang from the United Nations (UN) Environment Program, “In October 2020, the United in Science Report pointed to the fact that climate change has not stopped for COVID-19. That means if nothing is done, the world is going to move toward an apocalypse.”

With such an unsettling scenario, many wonder why there isn’t more concern about the issue globally. Mike Barry, strategic adviser and director at Mikebarryeco, explained that this happens “because it’s always been about something that’s going to happen in the future—five, 10, 15 years from now. It’s somebody else’s problem.”

He suggested that the devastating impact of wild weather events around the world in the last 12 months has suddenly made the problem “real to people.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom.

As Herweijer pointed out, “We’re currently in the middle of the fastest period of innovation ever,” with technology impacting virtually every organization. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, Big Data, and analytics offer us the tools to act on climate change across industries and regions.

Increasingly, companies are committing to reach while financial investors work to decarbonize their portfolios. As the software industry leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, 51ˇçÁ÷is helping organizations reinvent how to achieve their own sustainability targets through its Climate 21 initiative. The recently launched application is already giving companies the ability to manage the green line of individual products, delivering greater transparency to consumers who can now know the exact environmental impact of each of their purchases.

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While there is no clear answer as to when the pandemic will subside, there are strategies to manage the mental distress brought on by it and overcome that productivity wall. Coaching is one of them, says Kristen Reynolds, the global ambassador leader of SAP’s coaching program.

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“Coaching is about self-reflection and enabling people to find the resources they need within themselves so they can make the transformation they’re looking for in their lives,” Reynolds says. “But as opposed to therapy or counseling, coaching doesn’t focus on the past. The emphasis is on the future, which can be extremely powerful considering the times we’re living in.”

Another difference is that coaching doesn’t prescribe. “It’s a totally advice-free zone. The goal is to ask thought-provoking questions that help the client to tap into their own inner resources and the answers within themselves,” she says.

And although coaching is still a relatively young field, the is mounting that it may spur lifestyle and professional changes – and companies are paying attention to it. 51ˇçÁ÷started a coaching program 15 years ago and now offers the service to its more than 100,000 employees worldwide as part of a broader strategy to prepare people for the future of work, increase employee engagement, and foster cross-organizational agility.

“Each coach has specific areas of expertise, which are called their ‘superpowers.’ They may focus on conflict resolution, career development, or work-life balance, for instance,” Reynolds explains. “Coaches also help employees have more self-awareness, embrace diversity, and work better in virtual teams.”

It seems to pay off. Internal audits conducted by 51ˇçÁ÷show that employees with coaches are twice as likely to write up their business goals and 32 percent more likely to achieve them. And in a recent survey, 97 percent of those coached said they could directly apply what they learned in coaching sessions to their world today.

“It’s really key to have both operational as well as experiential data to support a solid coaching program. Balance out productivity indexes with more intangible results, like how a client feels after a coaching session and if they have more positive emotions, thinking, and attitude,” says Reynolds. “SAP’s purpose is to help the world run better and improve people’s lives, and this is one way we’re achieving that vision. Improving the lives of our employees, which, in turn, pours over into our customers, partners, and ultimately the world.”

Listen to the full interview with Kristen Reynolds, available on Ěý˛š˛ÔťĺĚý.

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The novel coronavirus is shining a spotlight on a business function often overlooked: procurement. In a world where empty shelves are quickly becoming the norm and governments struggle to provide medical supplies to healthcare workers, people wonder whether the products and provisions they need will continue to be available as the days go by.

“The reality is that procurement is the function that keeps the world going,” Chris Haydon, president of 51ˇçÁ÷Procurement Solutions, says.

Haydon spends most of his days making sure companies across the globe get access to the right suppliers while also identifying potential risks and alternative sources quickly.

“A lot of barriers are gone,” he says. “It’s not customer versus supplier anymore. With COVID-19, we’re all partners for the greater good.”

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Time to Take Action

The scale of the disruption brought by COVID-19 is unprecedented and likely more damaging than a natural disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami. But supply chains have become more resilient over the years, learning important lessons after taxing crises brought about by recent geopolitical instabilities and natural disasters.

Haydon’s team is stepping up to the new challenge by providing free access to , so any buyer can post their immediate sourcing needs and any supplier can respond to show they can deliver. As the world’s largest business-to-business marketplace, the network handles more than double the business volume of Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay combined. Recently, a customer was able to find a new source for hospital beds in just 35 minutes.

“We’re taking the uncertainty out of the process, linking the digital network with the human network, and using Experience Management to take a supply chain pulse,” Haydon shares. “This enables us to figure out where the suppliers are, what their sentiment is, and whether they have confidence in being able to deliver not just today, but also in six or eight week’s time.”

As the world adjusts to a new normal, the need to embrace the digital economy becomes clearer than ever.

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