Creating a Sustainability Mindset in the business world.

When discussing Sustainability it is time to pat us on the back for a second. The world sees Millennials, Generation Z, and X, and older folk alike, not just trying but actually changing their behavior to nurture the matter that is securing our environment. Bad eggs exist within all of these groups, but none of the groups itself stand out as the one not paying attention. That being said, the pat on the back should be a short one as there is still plenty of work to do, many minds to shift—especially the ones of the business world. 

The group that brought the matter to the light of day and that to all our doors is the Millennials. They joined an existing group of scientists and ecological-activists that started their fights for our cause a long time ago. Millennials made ecological thinking an attitude as we began to listen and learn from our children. They did not just shake the world of their predecessors but also whole markets putting the next piece of the puzzle towards a better future in place. How come? Their generation is one of today's main target groups. Producers of goods start to align their mindsets to the young eco-warriors as their intentions become an essential factor in business decision-making.

As I stated a couple of times, changing behavior is one of the most demanding challenges today. It's the key to taking on any existing problem. One of the most significant factors of change is sustainable business thinking. With the voices of change chanting on our streets (or digitally due to the corona crisis), companies will have to face a restructuring process to align their actions with Sustainability principles. The sooner this happens, the better the advantage will be - ecologically and also economically. Companies need to continue to learn from the youth and define key indicators to measure their sustainable actions and update their strategy dynamically. 

Companies must see the bigger picture. The principles of sustainability mindset force us to not focus on single processes or operations but our doings as a whole. Thereby, greenwashing does not help. It takes action instead of only words. Consumers will be skeptical when declarations of intentions are not followed by real facts, especially the young ones.