One of the problems that businesses have with implementing sustainability strategies is that they don’t know where to start. Sustainability is a term that is used so ubiquitously that it can be overwhelming to think about. There are many different ways in which businesses are challenged to act more responsibly but not everything that claims to be sustainable really is. In all the noise, it can feel like the concept has completely lost it’s meaning.

The most widely accepted definition of sustainability holds that whatever product or service your company offers, leaves the planet’s resources intact (or ideally even better off), so that future generations can thrive.

Trying to do too much out of the gate is a recipe for failure. Or, worse, having too many goals can lead to cold feet. But you don’t have to do everything at once. We recommend slowing down; instead, be intentional and align your current business strategy with your sustainability initiatives. A strong sustainability strategy should focus on one or two key sustainability goals that are aligned with your company’s vision, values, goals and culture.

Start by thinking about where your passion to make sustainable improvement aligns with your day-to-day activities. Maybe you are a delivery company tired of seeing garbage on the side of the road, so you contribute a percentage of your profits to roadside cleanup programs. Or you are a farm whose community relies on local groundwater reserves, so you contribute to groundwater research. If you are a software development firm, perhaps you prioritize low energy usage as part of the software design process.

Achieving small wins or picking off “low hanging fruit” in the beginning of your sustainability journey, can build momentum and shift company culture. Far too often, companies become bogged down in trying to change everything. It is easy to become overwhelmed with the complexity and make no movement at all. Instead, focus on starting small, consult your employees for innovative ideas, and enable them to test new ideas, accruing small wins that eventually result in big change. This is one way you can shift from a fear of full fledged organizational change into a change maker and sustainability leader.

On a recent trip to South Africa, I had the opportunity to go on a safari. During the safari, I had the extraordinary privilege of seeing many exotic animals in their natural habitat but one in particular left a lasting impression—a lioness.

Our vehicle came upon her and her cubs (the cubs were asleep behind her). She laid on the ground, alert, watching us, but holding her position. I was mesmerized by how large, muscular and perfect she was; she was beautiful. However, after staring at her for a few moments, I realized that our eyes were locked on each other. I panicked. I couldn’t remember whether you are supposed to look away or if holding a stare was threatening. She began to motion like she was going to get up and was intently eye-locked with me. The moment she began to move, fear grabbed me and for the first time in a long time. I felt scared for my life. Fortunately, our guide took note of the movement and promptly began driving away.

I couldn’t help but think then, and continue to think daily since seeing her, about her intensity. Obviously no words were exchanged, but I knew exactly what her position was. She was pure focus and power. The way she was ready to come for us to protect her cubs was unquestionable. It made me think of how we are today in our daily lives, and how we are viewing sustainability and the threat to our survival. To what extent are we seriously considering our childrens’ future on this planet and how are we protecting them? What if the lioness didn’t take us as a serious threat and was complacent, walking away, calling our bluff and essentially handing her cubs over? Is the world we are leaving to them going to be an unlivable place unless we intensely focus and make movement now, like the lioness?

We need her focus, intensity and power to leave the world a better place for our cubs. The lioness moved without hesitation to protect her young. So what makes us hesitate when we hear information about creating a sustainable world for the next generation? Why does the concept of sustainability seem to be a threat to some or a word that others roll their eyes at? What are we teaching our young about their survival? Are they learning skepticism and complacency over survival?

We have to start taking the threat seriously. We have to believe that we are capable of making enough change to make an impact. The experience with the lioness imprinted on me that we can never allow someone else to take our fate into their hands. We have to protect what we have, be intense and stay focused for the next generation and future ones. We are powerful and capable. So we should act.

Recently I traveled to South Africa. Before leaving, my aunt encouraged me to visit “the winery that was on the news with the ducks.” So, I looked up the winery and headed out to find it. It is a 350-year-old property. The winery’s management shared so much valuable insight about how they have incorporated sustainable methods to maintain the land. At 350 years old, how much more sustainable can you get? They must be doing something right!

They have an irrigation system that is supplied from local sources and they collect rain in reservoirs. The ducks eat pests that threaten to deplete the vines and grapes. The crops they source are suited for their soil—they didn’t pick the land and then attempt to alter the land to suit what crops they grow.

You might be thinking… so what? This is simple. That is exactly it. Sustainability doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when it coincides with what is already going on in nature.

At the end of it all, we never did get the chance to see the ducks, as their shift was over before we arrived. What we got instead was a simple and legendary example of sustainability.

I recently traveled to South Africa. This incredible adventure left me feeling inspired and so hopeful for our natural future.

I experienced conservation efforts making strides in preserving and encouraging the growth of some endangered species. For example, white rhinos that are almost extinct are being born and thriving on nature reserves. And I learned about “load shedding” and the energy crisis the people of South Africa are facing. Experiencing rolling black outs every day made me incredibly grateful to live in a province, in a country (Canada) where we have so many options in terms of sources of energy, that we regularly take for granted.

I had insightful conversations with Uber drivers from all over Africa who find themselves in South Africa today. Their vibrant human spirits shone through in our conversations despite what many of them have endured in their lifetimes. They were awake to political and social issues, demonstrated passion in informing me about corruption, but most importantly exuded warmth and welcome like I have never experienced. I felt safe with them and privileged that they felt safe enough with me to share their stories. The most surprising of all, was how often the topic of eco-feminism arose.

The majority of the world’s farmers are female and many of them are spread out over various African countries. Women know how to farm using the natural ecosystem. They do not treat soil aside from natural fertilizers and they do not use pesticides. Communities of female farmers support each other and help each other grow various crops, trading with each other while also helping to raise each other’s families. When I asked ex-pat Africans if they still had family in their country of origin, almost all of them explained that they do and that their mothers and sisters keep the land where they are from. North American farmers have so much to learn from African farmers in terms of leveraging the eco system and the benefit of keeping crops local for food supply chain.

One of the most significant take-aways for me from these conversations was that when people work with nature, instead of against it, there are sustainable outcomes. The families have been farming those lands for hundreds of years. Another important take-away was the importance of keeping food local and fostering what you have locally, while sharing it amongst the community. When we hoard or limit supply to others, we sever trust and cannot build a viable community that works together to be sustainable and thrive.

Finally, the most important lesson was that we all seek to survive, learn, live and enjoy life with one another- regardless of where we hail from. I will be forever grateful to every soul who spent time and trusted telling me about themselves, my views can never be the same as they were before this amazing adventure.

You should take care of your body because it’s the only place you have to live. We only get one body to take us through our journey called life. It is the driving force for those who practice good habits like exercise and/or eating well. Similarly, our planet is the only place we have to live. But, sadly, the health of our planet is currently in jeopardy. In large part, the lack of individual accountability for the planet’s health has led to a tragedy of the commons.

The truth is no one person, corporation or even country can change the outcome of our planet’s health. We all need to act. Where else do we have to live? We could be facetious and hope that space exploration leads to colonies on Mars of the Moon. But, for now, there is only one planet and we’re currently on it.

When we take advantage of our personal health and mistreat ourselves, ignoring signs that we are becoming sick or making comments such as “you only live once,” it can lead to serious injuries or long lasting health issues. We can live in denial or we can go to professionals for a diagnosis and attempt to take steps to reverse or treat the damage done. The Earth has become unbalanced and we are seeing the global environmental effects from e.g., feeding it trash for decades, yet somehow we are surprised when we see evidence of the negative impact our actions are having. Furthermore, some dismiss the professionals’ diagnoses that tell us the Earth has essentially become unwell. We need to reevaluate our actions, all our actions–it is not too late to treat the damage done or even reverse some of the effects we are seeing, but it will be soon.

Meaningful change can only happen when we choose to shift our collective behaviour–not just in terms of what looks like a real effort, but by taking true accountability for our actions. We must change how we use finite resources. However, this behavioural change requires acceptance to do something differently, the choice to make the change, and a commitment to being accountable. The good news is that the shift is already gaining momentum. Customer bases are becoming increasingly concerned about the sustainability of the products and services they buy. New environmental reporting standards are being established. More and more environmental accountability organizations are offering their seals of approval on environmental friendly products. Companies need to understand that they are corporate citizens; they have a significant role to play in the global shift for the wellness of the planet. We can help.

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.