We need to start thinking about what will come next, and how we can imagine a regenerative world.

Jeremy Mathieu

As we go beyond compliance and towards a net zero society, we need to start thinking about what will come next, and how we can start to imagine a regenerative world.

None of this is easy or straightforward! This report is an important reminder that the demands on sustainability professionals are constantly increasing and that we have to keep shaping our roles as we go along.

We need to have one foot inside the business to push the boundaries of what is possible, while having the other foot ahead of the business to understand what is necessary to bring forth a sustainable world. 

We need to bring our all colleagues along the journey, embed change in the structures of the organisation, while collaborating with external stakeholders to shape systemic solutions.

The sustainability profession has changed dramatically over the last few years and it is important to celebrate the progress we have made. 

From setting ambitious decarbonisation targets to developing granular roadmaps for achieving them, from identifying the risks that our businesses are facing in a climate-changed world to bringing the transition opportunities to the heart of decision making, we are increasingly making climate change relevant and tangible for our organisations and preparing for the significant transitions ahead of us.

It is an absolutely fascinating job, but it does take its toll.

‘It is increasingly important for us to have the space to think’

It is increasingly important for us to have the space to think, share and reflect with peers, to plan how to develop our own knowledge, skills and competencies, so we can be as sharp as possible in driving the next wave of change.

As we go beyond compliance and towards a net zero society, we need to start thinking about what will come next, and how we can start to imagine a regenerative world, one in which our way of life is embedded within natural systems and has a positive contribution by design. 

And we need to do this while thinking about how we leverage our existing activities and priorities (yes, including the reporting elements!) to lay the foundation for these exciting steps ahead.

‘We are nowhere near living in a sustainable society at the moment, which means that our job is far from done.’

We are nowhere near living in a sustainable society at the moment, which means that our job is far from done. We need to keep transforming ourselves, so that we can increase our impact in transforming our organisations, our sectors, and the wider societies that we are part of. 

Thank you to EdenLab for providing a useful contribution to this vital conversation and for working to support the profession, and wider businesses on this most important journey.

What now?

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