How Sustainability Leadership is Different

The Shift Our World Needs

There is a growing sense that something is amiss in our world. However, particularly in affluent nations, a crucial fact has not been internalized:

Population and consumption are increasing exponentially while the earth's carry capacity is steadily decreasing.

North America alone, about 5% of the population of the earth's population, consumes an estimated 40% of the earth's resources. And the rest of the world aspires to the North American "standard" of living. Clearly, the North American level of consumption is unsustainable, calling us to change our habits as we invite others to follow our lead.

Fortunately, there are “sustainability leaders” who have internalized the spiraling threat and are striving to make a difference. They are keen observers of times when selfish motivations result in conscious or unconscious decisions that harm rather than heal the environmental, social, and economic conditions of our planet.  The gift of sustainability leaders is their commitment to consciously embrace choices that serve common interests, knowing that in the long run doing so also serves their own interests. This shift in perspective opens a new energy for the collective work needed to sustain people, organizations, communities, and life on the planet.