When Sustainability Became Sexy…

Sustainability is ubiquitous–it is required for people to thrive and the Earth to function. All beings and organisms must function and adapt in a sustainable way to ensure their species’ continued existence. Following the Industrial Revolution, there was a shift in thinking whereby we considered businesses as corporate citizens; acknowledging that they were run by people, the concept that a business “acts,” “thinks” and has a “heart” was born. Since this shift, businesses have become increasingly accountable for how they contribute to society. Their use of and attitude toward finite resources, whether or not they exploit their space on this planet or their position in our society, how they care for the people who run their organizations and the communities they affect are now closely scrutinized. The public’s tolerance for inhumane behaviour by businesses increasingly wanes.

Over the last 60 years, competing organizations’ environmental and social responsibility actions have impacted their market position by influencing customer perceptions of their products or services; indeed, organizations have been forced to behave or be shamed. The key to a customer’s influence is choice: where they can put their money allows them to place a vote on how they expect businesses to behave. This progression has increased innovation and competitiveness of sustainable alternatives. Therefore, competition has rendered an era of further accountability. That is when sustainability became sexy. Accountability for one’s behaviour is always sexy; it means that whomever or whatever is being rendered accountable is safe and trustworthy, which we innately seek as humans. If we know we are safe and we can trust, we can continue to build and evolve, allowing us to achieve sustainability as the world changes. How we communicate and share information across the globe is faster than ever before. With the technological change comes the realization that businesses now have nowhere to hide. Organizations need to be authentically accountable for their environmental impact because they can no longer afford to be unsustainable–and THAT is sexy.