Best three sustainability books I read during 2020

No one has been left behind from COVID-19 and it’s economic and social consequences on Earth and we all have seen how quickly we respond when we are on the edge. Furthermore, many of us have claimed a #greenrecovery and to #buildbackbetter in a post-COVID-19 environment, but what does it mean?

We have experienced a “work-lockdown paradox” in which we work more when we are at home (or at least we are busier). This year has been the moment when people have had no other chance to think and work differently, and many have had the privilege of trying new hobbies… like writing blogs. Thus, I decided to share a small insight into the top three sustainability books that I enjoyed reading in 2020.

Climate Change: A Very Short Introduction - by Mark Maslin

An outstanding and short scientific summary to grasp the physical, cultural, and political phenomena of climate change. It is relevant for both experienced and un-experienced user in the field as one can easily digest and consolidate the scientific facts behind climate change. Timewise, it was so cost-effective that it prompted me to give another try to the “A Very Short Introduction” series.

“To tackle climate change we really need the level of funding that is usually only ever achieved when a country is at war.”

The Ages of Globalization – by Jeffrey Sachs

Invaluable experience if you did not have a strong educational background in human history, like me. I am a participant in the fact that we need to know our past before understanding our present. Written by one of the “creators of the Sustainable Development Goals”, Jeffrey Sachs, it had to provide an insightful outlook to the future of our society, environment, and economy through an eye-opening journey of civilisation patterns, discoveries, and geopolitical issues.

"We can be our own worst enemy, or at least our cousins’ worst enemy. Environmental sustainability and peace across cultures may not come naturally, but must be constructed using our abilities to reason and to look ahead."

Green Swans - by John Elkington

I was really looking forward to reading this book after the interview between the author & godfather of sustainability, John Elkington, and IEMA’s CEO, Sarah Mukherjee. However, what really made it a priority was receiving so many recommendations from friends and colleagues. The book is based on sustainability from a holistic approach, environmental, social, and economic, though the last mentioned is more prevalent among the chapters. Elkington delivers his extensive experience in corporate sustainability with a personal touch, and he makes use of swans (black, white, grey, and green) as an elegant allegory of humanities’ potential breakthroughs and setbacks. Worth every single page.

This book actually gives a sense of hope. There are many people that, even in the face of the current severe crises, remain positive. This book actually provides convincing evidence of why we should be “optimists about the future”. Specially recommended to corporate-sustainability enthusiasts and Doughnut Economics readers.

“How can we create multitrillion-dollar-per-year market opportunities by 2030? One answer: by meeting the United Nations' Sustainable Development goals."