There's a crisis of confidence in sustainability
Time to shift our focus from saving the world to helping people and nature thrive?
“I’m not sure my work is making a difference”
“What can I do that is actually worthwhile?”
“I don’t see the point any longer.”
“It’s all too little, too late.”
I’ve been hearing things like this recently from so many people working in sustainability.
I often feel the same way myself. Asking around, I've discovered that others are hearing this in their networks too.
For any work to feel meaningful, people need to believe there’s a connection between what they do and a worthwhile outcome.
Is it any wonder we’re confused?
Working in sustainability used to feel good: we believed there was direct link between the work we did and “saving the world” to ensure a future for people and for nature.
But with ever more obvious climate change and evidence we’re breaching several planetary boundaries, many tell me they fear it’s no longer possible to achieve what we’ve all worked so hard towards – often for much of our adult lives.
And now, on top of all that, the sinister rise of right wing populism is destroying so much that we need to succeed: political consensus, national and international institutions, access to scientific data and resources and more.
Is it any wonder we’re confused? That we question whether it’s worthwhile to keep on doing this same thing?
We need to redefine our purpose for these difficult times
If our work is to be meaningful and rewarding we need a renewed purpose – one that feels genuine in these difficult times and where we can see real results from our work.
I believe we should let go of the mindset of “achieving sustainability” or “saving the world”, with the implication of either success or failure.
Instead, we need a mindset that works in these difficult times, when “success” (whatever that might look like) is uncertain, and all kinds of change is inevitable.
Could “thriving” help us rediscover our purpose?
I believe that the concept of “thriving” could help us rediscover our purpose.
To thrive means to grow, to do well, even in difficult circumstances – and we all face difficult times, now and for the foreseeable future.
What if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people, including ourselves, and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens?
In many cases our work is already doing this. But we often discount it because we're weighed down by the fear that it’s all pointless if the world is already doomed.
I believe that adopting a “thriving” mindset will not only help us rediscover our purpose – it will also help us deliver on our purpose.
Sustainability is about the future. That’s a problem.
The sustainability world has tended to focus on the future – achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 and so on.
In focusing on future goals we’ve often lost sight of the fact that people’s behaviours and attitudes are largely shaped by their present needs and their experience of life today.
And while many projects and initiatives approach things differently, the general perception of sustainability, correct or not, is that people will have to give up good things now, in the hope of something better, sometime in the future.
Working for thriving now could be part of the answer
The projects and initiatives that do get support and engagement from local stakeholders tend to be those that offer genuine benefits today – practical skills and resources, physical and mental health, connection with other people, nature and place, and so on.
These benefits are exactly the kinds of things that help people to thrive right now.
This is the second reason why thriving matters to our work:
The more our work helps people to thrive today, the more likely people are to support that work, to believe that future benefits are relevant to them, and to trust that they might actually be delivered.
Postive and negative change will be difficult, disruptive and unpredictable
A quick reminder of the situation we and the world are in right now:
The climate and nature crises are having devastating effects across globe, breaking the ecological, social and economic systems that sustain us.
Those behind right wing populism are making effective action more and more difficult.
At the same time we see important progress: e.g. decarbonisation of energy; growth of EVs and e-bikes; public concern about climate and nature remains high across the world.
There will be positive changes as we contunue to work towards social and technological tipping points, manage the inevitable transitions, and contain the worst of the climate and nature crises. Paradoxically some of these, like the energy transition, will also be difficult for many people.
All this means that we ourselves, our families, friends, colleagues, neighbours and people across the globe will very likely experience difficult, disruptive and unpredictable change.
How do we create the conditions for people and nature to thrive?
In this situation one of the most important things we can do is create the conditions where people and the rest of nature have the best change of thriving – now and into the future.
Not only will we rediscover our purpose, feel better and be more effective, but we will also improve lives today and tomorrow, and inspire and enable others to be part of this journey.
Where to start? Given the state of the world right now I suggest that priorities for creating the conditions for thriving include:
Building resilience: of individuals, groups, communities, organisations and institutions.
Enabling regeneration: of nature and natural systems, locally and globally.
Healing society: to bring out, and build on, the best in human nature wherever we are.
Exploring thriving
I’ve been deeply anxious about the present and future state of the world for some time, and I’ve often struggled to see how anything I do could make a meaningful difference.
I’ve come to believe that the idea of thriving – specifically the idea of working to create the conditions for thriving now and in the future, locally, regionally and globally – is a useful lens through which to approach sustainability and related purpose-led work.
Other people I’ve discussed this with – and who have helped shape my ideas – have been encouraging.
So I’m going to keep exploring thriving. I will:
Speak to people across the country and in different sectors who are working on initiatives and projects that create conditions for thriving.
Speak with researchers and other experts about the crises we are living through and the insights and practices that might help us thrive.
Try to make sense of all this and to share what I learn in ways that are practical and empowering in this newsletter, Notes on Thriving.
Join me
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