Mind the gap between ‘sustain’ and the platform

Every London commuter is used to hearing the “mind the gap between the train and the platform” announcement when boarding an underground train. On the platform most of us are usually scrolling though Facebook, listening to music, or staring blankly at billboard adverts whilst waiting for the train. The average commuter goes through their daily lives in this cycle of routine; aware of the gap and boarding the train towards their destination, whilst trying to minimise the risk that their iPhone could fall into that gap, and disrupt everyone’s journey. What if we started viewing sustainability the same way? It’s time to talk about the gap between ‘sustain’ and the platform, and encourage more people to join the sustainable development journey in a mindful way.

Three years ago corporates, governments, investors and society were given the incredible development map that is the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), complete with detailed goals and target frameworks. However the UN estimates that achieving the Sustainable SDGs by 2030 will take between USD5-7trillion, with an investment gap of around USD2.5 trillion in developing countries. This requires a significant acceleration of finance towards the 17 goals. 

Today I attended BNP Paribas Sustainable Future Forum. It was a diverse and dynamic conference, bringing together corporates, investors and others from various industries and sectors to address how finance can help create a better world. The solutions, challenges and opportunities were refreshingly discussed with a sense of realism; realism about the dangers lurking beneath that financing gap including climate change, gender inequality, plastic and air pollution, and other big risks facing society. Collective action is required and we all have to be more mindful of the gap. I am optimistic that some of the financial community are starting to board the ‘sustain train’, as throughout the day each SDG was discussed with leading experts, and delegates had purposeful discussions. A particular highlight was an inspirational talk from Robert and Barney Swan; two amazing polar explorers and environmental leaders who founded the ClimateForce 2041 mission to engage individuals and businesses to act on climate change.

A final key takeaway was the idea of collective responsibility and leadership. Just like a commuter, each organisation and citizen has a duty to be aware of their actions, consequences and individual agency they possess. Communication – including events like the Sustainable Future Forum – can serve as a powerful tool in raising awareness about the gap, and help influence behaviours for positive change. We ultimately all need to be more mindful of the steps required to leap onto the journey towards sustainable development and crucially avoid that gap.