This week has been startling - a head in hands week. In between two major COP meetings (isn't it time that Climate and Biodiversity were seen as one in the same?!) and The Election - who would have thought that TRUMP, a convicted criminal (and all the rest...!) would be crowned leader of the United States of America for a second time?! - it is a challenge not to feel despondent. A quote comes to mind...
“To let him win one election may be regarded as a misfortune; to let him win two looks like carelessness.”
Thanks to Oscar Wilde for the adapted quote.
But let's remember that transitions do feel hard but we have made some HUGE ones in the past. The transition from horses to motor cars (once upon a time people were worried about disease from flies and horse poo in the streets!), the transition to digital (from writing letters to a globally connected society all in a few years) and now the transition to a more sustainable and equitable way of doing business.
There are also some major success stories that we can learn from - good things that have come out of "bad" - after all, oil giant BP were actually the founders of the carbon footprint! Of course, pushing accountability from corporates back to consumers has its challenges but even still a pretty universal tool for quantifying carbon utilisation and prompting effective change.
The Ozone hole - By 1984, the ozone layer over Antarctica's Halley Bay research station had lost one-third of its thickness compared to previous decades. The following year, publications were released suggesting a link to a human-made compound called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used in aerosols and cooling devices.
As news of the discovery spread, alarm rippled around the world. Projections that the destruction of the ozone layer would adversely impact the health of humans and ecosystems sparked public fear, mobilised scientific investigation and galvanised the world’s governments to collaborate in an unprecedented way. Since its adoption, the Montreal Protocol has been signed by every country on Earth – to date the only treaty to be universally ratified. It's widely considered a triumph of international environmental cooperation. According to some models, the Montreal Protocol and its amendments have helped prevent up to two million cases of skin cancer yearly and avoided millions of cataract cases worldwide.
Admittedly, the problem of climate change is more complex, yet I have hope that we will use the tools and the knowhow, our global connectedness for the better and this is a problem that will be solved by international cooperation and swift action. For now, it is up to those that have our eyes open to mobilise change within our reach.
Education is the biggest tool we have for enabling the sustainable transition - free and easily accessible, knowledge certainly enables us to become solution-based and to do what we can to take action.
At IMPACT training & media we are committed to bringing you informative and engaging sessions to help turn overwhelm into action. Bit by bit we can instill hope and provide the tools that people need to create change within the scope of their skills and capacity. We can all play a part to engage, enthuse and facilitate change so stay in touch and get involved as we support you to stay motivated and drive your impact into action for good.
Get in touch to see how we can help you and join our Sustainability Masterclass sessions to enable you the confidence to make a difference today.
#sustainability #education #cop #training #cpd #hope #sustainabletransition #esg #greenbusiness #makeadifference #changemakers
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