Becoming the Change Agent of Sustainability (part I)
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Author: Alice Chen
In 2015, to transform the world, United Nation (UN) issued The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that need urgent action by all countries. Since then, Business Consultants, Inc. (BCon), as a responsible global corporation, has incorporated the SDGs into our business goals, and has diligently promoted the concept of sustainability to our partners and clients.
The Natural Step for a Better Future
This year, we set the theme “Sustainability & Innovation” for The Human Element Global Business Forum 2019, and had the honor to have Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt share his expertise and insights on social sustainability. Dr. Karl-Henrik is the founder of The Natural Step and the creator of Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), and has assisted companies and governments to create and implement sustainability strategies.
Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt is also a former cancer researcher and clinician. From treating cancer patients to the earth, the transition triggered his thought about how “the earth we live in is just like a cancer patient - it may look fine from the surface, but it is slowly dying.” Unfortunately, a lot of time, even when people saw symptoms, they chose to ignore them thinking the symptoms were trivial and did not affect their livings yet. What they did not know was – by the time the symptoms were so obvious and could not be ignored, it was often too late.
The Urgency of Sustainability
If we continue to consume resources at our current rate, various organizations and research are predicting that humanity will eventually run out of food, water, and power resources, and the earth's ecosystem will be similarly devastated.
There is a high urgency in addressing the climate actions, and during the United Nation (UN) Climate Action Summit 2019, climate activist Greta Thunberg, 16, delivered a brief but powerful message to the world leaders:
“The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.” “We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.” - Greta Thunberg.
(Full transcript here)
Greta’s voice represented the voice of the future generations, and re-emphasized the importance of achieving the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs).
But what can we do? Most of us may not have the power to change how a country or an organization operates, and neither are we environmentalists, where do we start?
For more about the topic of sustainability, download our latest book " Sustainability: The Inevitable Future " for FREE:
