At a recent conference in New York for US/Spain business and sustainability, former Vice President Al Gore outlined three crises we face as a human race: Global climate change, the downturn of the world economy, and challenges to security—namely the vulnerability of an aging US infrastructure such as the electric grid and dependency on foreign sources of carbon-based fuels. Though daunting, Gore encouraged all of us facing these challenges with the understanding that the climate crisis is crucial to the economic crisis—one pathway we need to take is to build a more efficient economy through innovation and alternative sources of energy.

At the end of his presentation, Gore alluded to the need for moral courage to be able to face each of these daunting challenges now and within our current generation. While writing the book Smart Green in 2008, no one could have predicted the severity of the economic crash in the fall, nor could anyone continue to see the world the same as one time-tested company fell after another. It was as if I had written a book with one world view and overnight I had to cut, rewrite, and re-think every section to accommodate a new world.

One element that remained the same in both versions of my book-and consistent with each of the three crises Gore spoke of-is the interdependence between the environment, the economy, and the betterment of society. I saw it first-hand while traveling in Port Harcourt, Nigeria and I see evidence of it now on Main Street in America. I believe our fourth crisis is our need for integrity as individuals, organizations, and governments to implement changes for lasting value and authentic change.

How do we start? Reflect on the three meanings of “integrity”: First, we are most familiar with the meaning as being honest, trustworthy, and truthful. What could be more evident about the need for more transparency and honesty than the way some leading corporate, financial, and political leaders have behaved, leading to many of the negative impacts in the environment and the economy which has directly exacerbated worsening social conditions.

Second, integrity means “oneness” or “wholeness”. We are all part of a global system that has the double-edged sword of encouraging and discouraging growth. Any changes we make or someone else in another country makes, for better or for worse, will reverberate throughout the system. Realizing our oneness and the implications of the power of the system will accelerate our creativity and effectiveness as a world community. Third, integrity means “strength” like that found in a building, a government, or a business-structural integrity.

We each have to face this fourth challenge of the need for integrity before the other challenges because, without integrity, I believe our efforts will not have the necessary lasting effect. Gore mentioned that business leaders are the keys to helping define the future and for innovation. With integrity, I believe this to be possible.