EP.08/ Is Sustainability Losing Its Meaning?
LISTEN NOW
Mentioned Link:
Why is the word "sustainability" losing its meaning?
The truth is there is a lack of accountability, policy formation and business structures that clearly and effectively regulate what sustainability means and what standards need to be met to call something sustainable.
Less than 1% of recycled clothes are actually repurposed into new textiles. And yet, marketing campaigns like this exist everywhere. How is that sustainable?
Here's what we cover in this episode:
1. Sustainability as a buzzword: What does it mean?
In this section, we talk about the problems we're facing with the word sustainability and how it's lost its value. We all can see this word anywhere we look now and the reason behind that is there is a lack of specific requirements to be able to call something "sustainable". This opens up the opportunity for misleading claims and misinformation to become mainstream.
So what can we do about this?
2. How to create accountability for sustainability
Here we talk about how we need to set accountability models for the word sustainability and the two areas that need to shift in order to make this happen.
Number 1: Businesses
The first thing we need to do as businesses is set goals. We need to set realistic and smart goals that align with the SDG goals by the UN and specific ESG goals that we personally connect with within our businesses. And we need to set them up in a way that we can see how our businesses are contributing to the issues we're involved in.
Number 2: Government
The second thing we need is to get the government involved. We need to create more stringent regulations on consumer protection law, and this should encompass all things from the physical safety of the product we consume, but also the truth on how the products enter our hands.
There shouldn't be a vague definition of what sustainability is.
There should be a set standard for how we communicate and define our products as sustainable.
3. The 6 anti-greenwashing principles by the CMA Guidance on Environmental Claims on Goods & Services
This section talks about the types of standards and principles we must include in local and international governance structures that measure and manage the use of sustainability. One standard we have found very useful is the CMA Guidance on Environmental Claims on Goods & Services.
Because sustainability and transparency are such key components at Naturspired™, we've implemented the CMA Guidance on Environmental Claims on Goods & Services in our business as a transparency model and a guideline on how we believe businesses should be run.
In this section, we break down the 6 principles that are included in this guidance and why they're important.
Ending Note:
If you found this episode useful or resonated with it, please share it with your network or send us a donation so we can continue to bring insightful and educational content your way! Otherwise, you can follow us on Instagram for thought-provoking and insightful content!
