Sustainability isn’t dead. It’s under attack.
I keep hearing “sustainability is over.” But what does that even mean?
Are we talking about the language and comms of corporate sustainability? Or the actual work of building a just, livable planet?
Yes, a handful of high-profile companies are retreating, especially on DEI. But the data (and what I see at multinational clients) don’t support the idea of a mass abandonment of sustainability.
Sustainability isn’t dead. It’s being targeted…by right-wing governments, backed by vested interests desperate to keep us stuck in the past.
But the logic for action has never been stronger: existential risks (climate, biodiversity, and inequality) are real and expensive; solutions are cheaper; and younger generations expect more from companies.
Sustainability has always been a weird and inspiring blend of science-based realism (physics and facts) and human-centered values (empathy, justice, and love).
These foundations of a thriving society are under siege. But they are very much worth fighting for.
Sustainability isn’t dead, no matter how much they want you to think it is.
[Lots of discussion on this post on LinkedIn]
(Image PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay)