Guest Blog: A Philosophy of Sustainability

Our Southern Africa International Ambassador Cris Robertson shares with us his philosophy of the ability to sustain

Every now and then, I give a presentation at a high school about sustainability. The kids are alright. They know there are problems out there and they want to do something about it. We're in good hands, but not in great hands – not yet. They have knowledge, but what I think they're lacking is understanding. And that's where I'm hoping philosophy will help, or as the late Professor Paul Cilliers referred to it: "the art of reflection".

My view is that, when it comes to educating the youth about sustainability, we should first start with providing them with a philosophical basis from which to understand what's going on in the world, before providing them with the knowledge to address these issues.

Below is my first attempt at this, taken from a recent talk I gave at a Cape Town school:

I want to start off by talking about relationships.

If I say the word “relationship”, what does your mind immediately jump to? Maybe you’re thinking about the loving bond between two people. Maybe you’re thinking about a special someone right now?

But relationships aren’t always represented by romantic love.

For example, the loyalty we have for a sports team, the curiosity we have about a fashion trend, the disgust we have for a corrupt politician, the ambition we have to succeed in a career, the shame we have when we acknowledge a certain minority group is being oppressed – these are all indicative of the different relationships we have in life.

So, when I say “relationships”, I’m talking about the idea that we – especially as social animals – relate, connect and interact with different kinds of things, all the time.

And it's these relationships that give our lives meaning. Even if you feel lonely sometimes, you’re never really alone. We’re always part of a family, a school, a community, a species, an ecosystem.

This is why I wanted to start off by talking about relationships – not just because they’re important, but also because understanding the importance of relationships, especially those we have with and within the world, is central to understanding sustainability.

But what do we mean when we say ‘sustainability’?

No, it’s not a synonym for the environment, climate change, recycling or inequality. Although these things are integral to it, they don’t explain it.

If we break it down – ('sustain' + 'ability') – sustainability means “the ability to sustain”. But what are we trying to sustain?

The answer? Good, healthy relationships.

Simply put: sustainability is about making the world a better place by improving the relationships we have with and within it. The world is a big place, so this includes our relationship with ourselves (i.e. mental health) and each other (i.e. friendship, community) – but also our relationship with the natural environment (i.e. gardening, farming).

However, what’s implicitly admitted here, what’s so sneakily tucked away in the definition, is an acknowledgement that the world is not in good shape. The current relationships between ourselves, each other and the environment, especially the natural world, are not ones that we want to sustain.

This is common knowledge, right? If you’ve been keeping up with the news, which is always a good habit to have, that would be obvious.

"Hurricanes, wildfires, and drought: US finds itself battling climate disasters on several fronts"

Things are pretty bad – the current relationships we have with and within the world can be described as toxic relationships. Nobody wants to be in any kind of toxic relationship. Those are ones in which one person takes advantage of and abuses the other.

Not good. Not healthy. Not right.

So, if we’re asking if a thing is sustainable, what we’re really asking is: does it sustain good and healthy relationships, in which we nutire and nourish each other and the environment - and in turn, ourselves?

Thankfully, there are lots of people, including people your age, who are already looking to improve these toxic relationships that we have with the world.

Greta Thunberg, who popularised the #fridaysforfuture climate strike, has been instrumental in holding politicians to account when it comes to tackling climate change.
Malala Yousafzai has advocated for equal education among girls since being a teenager, then survived an assassination attempt, and went to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
Boyan Slat, who at 17 years old, invented a machine to pluck the plastic pollution out of the oceans and has now received millions of funding to make his invention a reality.

Of course, you don’t need to become a celebrity – there’s lots of practical everyday things you can do to sustain the kinds of relationships that will make the world a better place. But rather than overwhelm you with a list, I want to suggest a simple way to start:

Vote with your wallets.

In other words, use your power as a consumer. As the American author and educator puts it: "Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want."

Whether that’s buying food or fashion, or anything in between, you need to acknowledge that it’s never a simple financial transaction. You need to ask what kind of world are you supporting with each thing you pay for. By choosing ethical and responsible businesses and brands that protect the environment and uplift communities – which are often local businesses and brands – we're taking the first steps towards sustaining the kinds of relationships we need to make the world a better place.

It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it. You're going to make mistakes, but you're going to learn from them. There will be times that you'll be overwhelmed, but there will times where you make a significant difference to someone or something.

Practice makes progress.

Cris is our Southern Africa International Ambassador and is a sustainability communications and online learning professional, based in Cape Town.

You can learn more about Cris and the rest of the ESGmark® team on our about us page - and for more on what sustainability means now, click through to our explainer on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.