As people and a planet, we are going to make it

If reading that line gave you the slightest sense of relief, then you probably have eco-anxiety. I know I do. And it's becoming more and more common. Especially the direction the world is currently heading in.

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Gwyn Jones . And it was magical. The opportunity came about through my work with OSO.earth + 7DOTS and Damien Mulligan . And With Gwyn's permission, I wanted to share some of the points we discussed. I hope I will in turn share little of the magic with you.

The conversation was around a sustainable way of living and how it’s possible for people and the planet to thrive in the future. And despite it being a mix of hope and challenges, I hope they will help relieve some of your eco-anxiety.

Gwyn is a Director at the The Association of Sustainability Practitioners and an Advisory Board Member for a number of businesses that focus on doing good in the world. Here are some of the topics we talked about...

• We are going to make it. Gwyn’s adamant we are going to solve the challenges of sustainability in a way that allows us and the planet to thrive. As he put it “I know we are going to make it”. It was refreshing to hear. Positivity will win through. ?Eco-anxiety is on the rise. Levels of eco-anxiety are increasing, in particular in younger people and it’s likely to significantly impact individuals and society over the coming years. We need to all take note of this. It’s why I’m so passionate about the work we are doing at OSO.earth .
• It’s possible to do good and have a good income. And if you have a good income, you should use it to do good... because making money and buying things isn’t all it’s made out to be. People can choose to be citizens, rather than consumers. The difference being that citizens only use what they need to, compared to consumers who consume things because they “want” to. The planet can support citizens. It can’t support consumers. Simple starting step - buy second-hand whenever you can, so you’re not consuming new resources.
• There is a lot we can learn from indigenous cultures. They managed to live in their environment without depleting it. They live in balance. Just as all of nature does. People and business need to learn from this and do it as well. We need to all act like a tribe, not trying to win over each other.
• It’s not about “Win Lose” or even “Win Win”, it’s about “Win Win Win”. Business can be done in a way that both parties win, and society/nature/the planet wins as well. It requires more companies to step up and embrace what consumers are demanding. For us to all look after the planet better. When they do, they thrive as a result. ?Building Tomorrow. Paddy Le Fluffy published a book called Building Tomorrow that looks to create a new economic system to help us avert environmental disaster. I’ve ordered it. If you want to see a business putting the principles into practice, check out Riversimple . They have six Custodians who represent the six stakeholder– environment, customer, community, staff, investors and commercial partners and they aim to create benefits for each of these and balance and protect the interests of all of them.
• Dragon Dreaming. Only 40% of projects meet deadlines and goals according to IBM. The Dragon Dreaming method is designed to help people bring dreams to life through creative thinking. The dragon represents our fears and insecurities, and the method allows you to overcome them by building a strong vision (dreaming), create objectives (planning), take action (doing) and recognise success and move forwards (celebrating). This type of thinking is needed to solve the challenges we face.

And there was of course so much more!

The conversation has inspired me to do more, so along with my work at 7DOTS (sustainability initiatives and using technology for good) and OSO.earth (helping to relieve eco-anxiety) I am also personally going to commit to the following:

1. Become a "citizen", rather than "consumer". I have a lot of work to do here. I need to shift how I think about what I need and what I want... I know things and money don't bring happiness, but it's going to take a while to reprogramme 40 years of thinking.
2. Start buying second hand items whenever I can. Ideally from charity shops, or if that's not possible, direct from other people through the many marketplaces.
3. If I buy new, look to buy products that have been produced in as sustainable fashion as possible, or at least last for a long time to minimise the impact they cause.
4. Try to minimise our impact as a family on the planet, for example travelling and using essential resources in a responsible manner. On top of this, I'm going to look into schemes to plant trees to try and mitigate the impact that we do have as a family.
5. I've joined the The Association of Sustainability Practitioners and will lean in to supporting others in the group, the wider network and the world at large to be more sustainable.

I hope the points I have shared from the conversation, and the changes I'm going to make, encourage you to have a think and maybe even make a few changes too. Let me know if it does.

Or, if you'd rather have a chat, please connect and send me a message. I’d love to talk with you.