At first, I reckoned Rob's discourse exaggerated and somewhat cynical. Once I studied more about sustainability, one day (years later) I said to him: "Rob, look what happened ... I became a 'grumpy' person just like you". He said nothing, just laughed, and gave me a big and proud hug as if saying: "Oh, you finally started to understand!".
I discovered Rob and CSEAR through his publications. I went to Scotland to meet him, and he welcomed me with open arms when I was an unknown doctoral student, a former executive blinded by capitalism's ideas. He made me think outside the box and abandon taken-for-granted ideas about business; he urged me to walk another mile.
In his own words, in an excerpt from an interview I acted as interpreter during his visit to Belém do Pará, Brazil, for the 2013 South America CSEAR Conference: "My interest, as an accountant, is in ways of measuring, using, and advancing forms of accounting that do not destroy the planet and may even encourage different ways of thinking about the planet and society. It has nothing to do with contributing to companies or companies contributing to sustainable development because they definitely do not. Companies and businesses contribute to unsustainability. So the motivation is a matter of finding ways to show the impact of organizations, especially companies.”
Thank you, Rob! So sad you had to go so soon!
My heart is with the love of your life, Sue, and your beloved kids Michael and Chris!
Love, Yara
Yara
15th July 2020