The Scope of Sustainability

Not just for the environment anymore…

If I asked you, “what are your thoughts on sustainability?” I imagine that flashes of “there is no planet B” protestors, Greta Thunberg quotes on Twitter, and trees capsizing in the rainforest may run through your mind. Yes, these are elements of the push towards an accountable future, but environmental initiatives tend to command control of the entire scope of sustainability. Truthfully, there is so much more to this movement than “reuse and recycle,” “save our planet,” etc. In fact, the 1987 Brundtland Commission report for the United Nations defined sustainability as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Note that “the needs of the present” do not belong solely to evangelical environmentalists. Instead, it is a humble but fervent invitation for reformation across all fields and foci.

The entire scope of sustainability includes a cultural, social, technical, economic, political, and lastly, environmental aspect. All firms, whether fashion houses or overvalued tech companies, can find applicable actions to sustain John Elkington’s triple bottom line: Profit, People, and Planet. Although Profit has been king of the trio for most of this planet’s memorable history, past civilizations did not find profit and sustainability mutually exclusive. I implore you to travel to Rome, Paris, or Ephesus and marvel at previously profitable economies that were built to stand for eternity. You will be reminded that in fact, profit was never the villain, but make-shift swiftness for the sake of profit is. We’ve seen the terrible impact of hurricanes on cheap homes, quick “fixes” that took the form of redlining, and how “fast-food” has brought on long battles with health for many. We not only misnomer the scope of sustainability and how many societal aspects lack-there-of impacts, but also that speedy and “tokenized” greenwashing is a nearly ironic way to evade the problem. Our environment, schools, infrastructure, energy, transportation, culture, etc. is crying for change, but every solution should be built to last.

So what does this look like?

·         Establishing equality by fighting food deserts in disadvantaged communities.

·         Combatting social injustice by providing safe houses for women escaping human trafficking.

·         Creating recognition for fashion brands who recycle fabrics and produce biodegradable materials.

·         Championing initiatives to provide the homeless with temporary housing and coaching.

Efforts like these meet our worlds’ current needs and even empower future generations to better meet their own needs. The angle shifts from the sustainability misconception of “do no harm,” to forming the regenerative legacy of “do more good.”

 In my conversations with those who find themselves opposing sustainability reform, I often hear disqualifiers of their own ability to simply “go green” with the “over-woke hippy environmentalists.” These attributions originate from the media's disappointing tendency to monotonously obsess over extremes and, in turn, scare the general public from applied action in their respective fields. Real sustainability cannot and will not be stereotyped. It does not have a face, age, resume, or title. All it requires is tangible action and an ever-increasing sense of personal responsibility.  

Nesha Mutuku is a Florida-based founder of a budgeting fintech - designed to gameify personal finance. She also serves as the Chief of Staff for Undock, and loves finding new ways to bridge gaps between business and impact. As a Stetson University Alum, she holds degrees in Quantitative Reasoning, Psychology, Social Science, and Business. On the side, she loves to compose music, write opinion pieces, model, and teach dance.