Global companies must become local partners or risk alienation.

Global challenges are too big and complex for governments, activists, or businesses to tackle on their own. The interaction on social issues between government and nongovernmental bodies with business can no longer be adversarial, Isdell said.

Businesses have the resources—in terms of manpower, capital, and intellectual capital—to be change agents. And customers expect companies to be part of the solution.

With business on board, social causes gain scope and speed, Isdell said.

For instance, with Coke, water is the company’s No. 1 social priority, and it is the world’s largest beverage maker’s most-used commodity.

As Coke has evolved, it has moved to reduce its footprint in terms of water, Isdell said, while working with governments and nongovernmental organizations such as USAID to provide clean water to communities across the globe.

It’s a business philosophy that resonates with Lee Thomas, CEO of Rayonier Inc. and a former CEO of Georgia Pacific.

Businesses must rebuild trust to survive. The leadership must come from the C-suite, Thomas said.

“The tone has to come from the top,” he said.

Companies must also align their values with the values of employees to create a workforce motivated to serve both the interest of the corporation and to improve society, said Jeff Bowman, CEO of Atlanta-based Crawford & Co.

Prospective employees also want employers to be seen as making a difference in the world, Bowman added.

The change within business cannot be superficial, Isdell said. It must be tied to shareholder ambitions, otherwise, “there is no longevity.”

The image of chief executives has taken a hit, but Bowman said top executives have a knowledge base rare in the public sector.

“CEOs are on the front lines of what is happening in the world today,” he said.

Thomas, the Rayonier CEO, said companies must play a role to help solve issues of climate change, energy, and water.

But businesses by their nature must provide a return on investment to shareholders.

The private sector also plays another role in retraining the workforce for a new economy that will include innovation for solutions to society’s challenges, Thomas said.