Healthy Planet and Prosperous Businesses: Can We Have Both?

I’ve continued to reflect on our March 1^st Live with JonahLisa that featured the young, inspirational change-maker Fynn Harrison. People joined from the US, Scotland, Colombia, Bulgaria, UK, and India. It’s safe to say that all of us were simply blown away by this young man’s poise, knowledge and passion for our planet. If you were not with us live, the video is above.

Here are a few of the comments:

• BRAVO Fynn!! What a great example!
• Fynn, very refreshing for me to hear what young people care about & I love your thinking about fast fashion. Awareness is the beginning of change.
• Thanks Fynn, I will be rethinking buying yet another dress for an upcoming wedding!
• Very good simple experience about how to understand better why we have problems. Many thanks,
• Awesome Fynn SOOOOO impressive!
• Great Fynn! Thank you Lisa. All the best to all.

Fynn educated us on the impact of the fast fashion industry and its supply chain on the environment. Did you know that it generates more CO2 than the shipping and aviation industries combined? Or that it is the 3^rd largest polluter after food and construction, adding 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions?

Fynn built a Change Matrix to help clarify his understanding of what it would take for more and more young people to adjust their buying habits.

The Sustainability Pyramid provides a graphical representation of what Fynn would like to see people do. Less and less buying new, more and more wearing and using what you have.

As I've pondered Fynn's message, I began to think about the consumer goods companies and supply chains around the world and how the changes to our buying habits that Fynn proposes might impact them.  

If everybody makes the decision to buy less and less of what they don’t truly need to buy, then a big dent can be made in enabling the environment to be healthy and sustainable.

And now those famous two words, “Yes, but…”. If everybody made the decision to buy less and less of what they don’t truly need, what would happen to the companies and to the people whose livelihoods depend on them?

We need both a healthy, sustainable environment AND profitable, sustainable businesses for the world to be prosperous and thriving, now as well as into the future.

Without a real solution to this conflict, it is no wonder that progress on the environment from businesses and governments is slow going.

I personally buy into the notion that every conflict among humans can be solved. Really solved. In ways that nobody is hurt and every side gains. Once our desire to solve the conflict outweighs our desire to be right, the door opens to acknowledge the real needs of each side that are violated due to the conflict. We can then uncover the invalid assumptions that drive the conflict and create solutions that honor both of the needs.

Can you think of any ways for us humans to create a world in which the environment is pristine, and businesses are thriving? I'd love to hear from you!

Want to learn more?

To learn more about The Change Matrix, click here. 

To schedule a Free Discovery Call with Lisa, click here.