Not My Monkey

Climate change is one of the largest challenges facing today’s society, and in order to reduce the rate and impact of such change, we need to act sustainably. Therefore, this blog should begin by defining what we actually mean by ‘sustainability’. The United Nations definition is as follows “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (WCED, 1987). Such development can be labelled as ‘Sustainable Development’ where economic, social, and ecological factors are considered equally.

Sustainability takes on different meanings when put into various contexts, such as corporate, social, and environmental. Corporate sustainability is often referred to as corporate social responsibility where an organisation is expected to sustain themselves, usually through profitability, whilst also meeting legal, ethical, and philanthropic needs. Social sustainability is often linked to increasing well-being, such as quality of life. Finally, environmental sustainability defines the responsible management of the earth’s natural resources. Topics like deforestation, water pollution, and wildlife are often discussed in this context.

I believe there is a sever lack of education around the impacts humans are having on the planet, and as a result many people underestimate their potential to help reduce climate change. I constantly hear “but me doing that one sustainable action isn’t going to save the planet!”, they’re right it won’t, but if we all did that singular action, think of the impact that could have and how easy it was! For example, buying loose fruit and veg instead of packaged, or bringing reusable shopping bags instead of buying plastic ones (packaging is the biggest producer of plastic waste globally). As a bonus, these options tend to be cheaper, so why wouldn’t you do it? Well, the answer to this is usually “it’s not my problem” however, as someone polluting the environment and not even considering the impact you may be causing, it is 100% your problem, and in fact you are the problem. This may sound harsh, but it’s the reality. Increased education and role modelling of this behaviour would encourage more positive climate action and responsibility from individuals.

Corporate Sustainability | Social Sustainability | Environmental Sustainability | Climate Change