Why Acting on Sustainable Solutions and Not Just Talking About Them is More Important Than Ever.

June 22, 2020

These days there is a lot of discussion about how the worldwide pandemic has given humanity a wake up call; that the ways of the past are no longer sustainable and right now is the perfect opportunity to focus on building a better future with sustainability in mind. I agree, but sustainability is a common buzzword and is said more often than acted on. 

Sustainable practices are even more crucial to act on now because they create balance in a world that is off balance right now. It’s preparing for the future instead of only focusing on the crisis at hand. I’ve recently reflected on the fundamentals of what sustainability really means and thought back to my Geography and Urban Studies classes at Temple University. I can picture that Venn diagram showing sustainability in the center of the three circles - economic, social, and environmental. 

When we take action on something in order to make money for ourselves and our organization, are we only thinking through the economic lens? Too many companies prioritize profit over their people and preserving our natural world. Shaming companies for only focusing on their bottom line isn't the right approach though, because we have all built and supported a hyper-capitalist system that incentivizes private ventures to only care about profit. This message is about getting people and companies to take a step back, rethink priorities and focus on making their organizations more sustainable and prepared to tackle the future. Again, easier said than done, right? 

Here are some simple questions to ask yourself and your organization: Are we increasing inequities or helping to level the playing field? Is the positive economic impact for individuals and our organization far outweighing the negative environmental impacts? Is the product or service we are offering solving problems and improving people’s lives? 

If a company is incentivized to only act in the economic lens, then shouldn't the public sector get involved to create policies that ensure equity and limit environmental degradation? Yes, absolutely; we can point to the public sector as a way for us to come together to solve these problems (especially at the local level), but people and organizations coming together has always been the fastest and most effective way to make change. Just as consumers have the power to decide what they buy and consume; companies can make decisions that prioritize sustainability and a triple bottom line (people, profit, planet), not a single one focused on profit only. 

Over the last several years we have seen a gradual shift in consciousness towards sustainability, but now it feels like change is ready to happen quicker. There is an urgency about the state of the planet, and social and economic injustices. I believe that more people, organizations, and communities will focus on solving problems with sustainable solutions because of this awakening and call to action. 

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.