Over recent months leading up to COP28, there have been regular news leading to greater climate anxiety amongst the general population, environmentalists, business leaders and activists – the full spectrum of stakeholders.
In the UK, we have had the government rolling back on its Net Zero ambition by extending the timelines for transition to electric vehicles and gas heating to 2035, and positioning Net Zero as something to be achieved by midnight on 2049, with the reasoning that inaction would protect the general population during the cost of living crisis.
This is compounded by the images we see of David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III, the despair raised by Chris Packham’s documentary “Is it time to break the law?”, and the UN General Secretary warning of 3oC warming this century. And, to top it off, the commitment of the global oil and gas sector to continue the extraction of fossil fuels that will blow Net Zero out of the water.
We’re not off to the best start in the latest edition of COP, with the UAE’s Sultan Al Jaber – the president of the conference, who also holds a position as Chief Executive of the state’s oil company, Adnoc – refuting the scientific consensus around the need to phase out fossil fuels in order to limit warming to >2°C.
So Climate Action can feel overwhelming and ineffective in light of the political inertia, vested interests, and a lot of greenwashing. And, for those working in sustainability for over 30 years, it is hard to take – not least because the 1992 Rio Earth Summit already predicted the scenario we now find ourselves in.
From working with people across various organisations, we sense there is a growing need for a clear way for people to take meaningful action at work and in their daily lives. As COP 28 sounds like a broken record as climate records are being broken, we at Beyond Green have taken inspiration from Joanna Macy’s work on Active Hope.
Moving to Active Hope
Active Hope covers four key steps, 1) Gratitude, 2) Acknowledging difficulties, 3) Viewing the world differently and 4) moving forward. We’ve flushed out our despondency above (step 2), so lets share some of our gratitudes from the team:
- “I am grateful that I live in a place where I can be close to nature, and work with supportive colleagues, clients and community who are doing their best to change their organisations to make the world a better place.”
- “Personally, I am grateful that I am able to aid the fight against climate change through my career. I am fortunate to work within Beyond Green having studied a degree in Carbon Management. This has allowed me to interact with an inspiring, diverse range of people who are trying to make the world a better place, which has filled me with hope for the future.”
Viewing the world differently
- “It dawned on me the impact of activism by Just Stop Oil on my framing of action and how activism over the centuries, such as the suffragettes, led to societal change. I am now thinking of what can I ‘Just Stop today’, and what can I ‘Just Start today’ to support systemic change.”
- “I have begun to think about climate change through a moral lens and question some of my behaviours. It is relatively easy for me to travel around Edinburgh by bus. so I have made plans to give up my car. Not everyone can make sweeping changes to their lifestyle, but it is important that those who can, do, in order to build momentum.”
- “I have found it helpful to focus on the joy in the changes I’d like to make to find the places where more sustainable options fit into my life. I think of eating more vegetarian or vegan meals as an opportunity to experiment and to find new favourites to fall in love with.”
Moving forward – actions we can take
- “I think I can become more vocal in the communities I work with to help open up people’s thinking about sustainability as the outcomes of a system we can change for the better. This change is driven not by individual action, but by a community of collaborators in the workplace, in the supply chain and in the neighbourhood.”
- “Ask questions. As an employee, ask your leadership about their plans for a more sustainable future. As a leader, think about how you can make structural or strategic changes to your work. Starting the conversation can be the first step.”
- ”Collective action is required to deliver the systemic changes that we need to tackle climate change. The wholesale changes we need will be driven by people, like you, who have taken the time to read our blog. History suggests that once a critical mass of a quarter of a population is committed to a change, it will filter through the rest of society. The more of us that lead low-carbon lifestyles, the more it normalises them amongst our peers.”
Businesses – the interface between Personal Action and Systemic Change
Businesses, and organisations more widely, are an important interface between personal values and changing working practices and strategies, as we have seen in the J Smart case study. Through collective collaborative conversations, we can be a catalyst to influence organisation decisions that will have a meaningful and long-term impact. We recently had discussions with clients around shifting the menu from predominantly meat-based to plant based options, around shifting to online delivery of services, and having a fundamental rethink about powering construction sites to reduce energy consumption and emissions.
Other clients are working on more sustainable travel choices through operating a car club or investing in electric fleet; or going deeper into their “business as usual” by assessing the carbon intensity of their investments and questioning the integrity of their supply chain.
The interface needs to include a diverse mix of individuals across the organisation and beyond to reflect different generations, genders, experiences and backgrounds. An inclusive process will allow hidden competencies to shine and provide space to create new skills.
We don’t need to listen to the broken record of climate change inaction, we can change the tune. As an individual, what are some of the actions you’d like to take in the new year? As a business leaders, how could you empower your teams to influence your organisation’s sustainability journey?