A trip last Friday to Earthfest, a small sustainability show in the shadow of the monstrous new Google HQ in Kings Cross, served as a timely reminder of the need to get out there in the real world and see what’s actually going on with sustainability.
How often do we find time to connect all the theory and the planning we do in the office with what’s really happening at the grassroots of sustainability? Yet there’s much to learn from the innovators and small-scale sustainability heroes telling their stories. These are the real leaders of this movement, quietly making a difference, driven by hope and the optimism of possibilities, not weighed down by the conflicting demands of a corporate agenda.
It's time to get inspired, to go to events, see what the smaller brands are doing with no money, feed off their passion. These are the changemakers who will breathe life into your own personal & professional sustainability journey, massaging away your frustrations and leaving you motivated to go again. Without personal passion, what do we have? Targets, plans and project pipelines cannot fuel themselves. There’s nothing more inspiring than seeing the small pockets of progress being made all around us – impact being built, brick by brick from the ground up. Such a refreshing antidote to the top down, theoretical thinking that dominates the sustainability agenda in the corporate world.
So, block some time out of that diary. Find your nearest event. Take your team. Learn and be inspired in equal measure. Create new connections and hear the stories that you can share to motivate others.
Real people, doing real things in the real world. There’s no better tonic.
