You don’t have to be at the forefront of sustainability to join the sustainability conversation. That’s what we learned at the recent Blue Earth Summit in London.
Feeling ‘sustainable enough’
Whether it’s imposter syndrome or taking the easy way out, businesses that aren’t directly in Sustainability with a capital ‘S’ can end up feeling like they aren’t sustainable enough to bother trying, or that nobody will notice them. They wait for the right time. Or for someone to charter the path set by someone else in their industry.
The thing is, we don’t have time to wait for perfect solutions. We need to act now for the planet. And everyone on the planet has a role to play. Progress matters more than being perfect. An imperfect solution that moves the dial on the climate crisis could inspire someone else to refine it. (And it could be a better idea than you think.)
We need all disciplines, not just science
Science has been important to get us this far in terms of acknowledging what needs to be done to drive down global temperatures and restore natural habitats. It will continue to be the forefront of research, facts and convincing arguments for the future of the earth.
But our biggest takeaway from the Blue Earth Summit was the human element. Sustainable solutions for the climate crisis depend on creative minds and young entrepreneurs as much as corporate finance and well-connected voices.
The solutions depend on different ways of thinking.
On people who have travelled.
On people who know their unique industry inside out.
And crucially, on stories.
Storytelling your way to solutions
As humans, we’re connected through shared experience and stories. As a species, we’ve been telling stories for millennia and today we consume them across all different platforms: word of mouth, social media, Netflix, newspapers. As many people as there are in the world, there are just as many ways of connecting with each other.
Your brand’s voice connects with people that other brands won’t. You have a unique perspective on the world and on our shared challenges.
How do you start showing up?
Remember, it’s not about perfection. It’s about doing what you can. Doing something small but good is better than doing nothing at all.
- Make a commitment to change
- See what skills you have and start thinking about how they can be used in a sustainable way
- Partner with purpose-led organisations, whether that’s for an event (internal or external) or with your suppliers
- Use your platform to amplify what you’re doing well
- Get serious about making small operational tweaks – and find a way to make yourself accountable
Whoever you are, you have a voice in the sustainability conversation. It’s unique and it’s yours. It’s up to you how you use it.
