Sustainability: business, life, environment

Criticism: the act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything; censure; faultfinding.  We all know what criticism is and we all know the limiting effects of halting actions as a result of it.
 
A recent Gallup shows that 94% of Americans are aware of climate change issues, and of that segment 75% feel that action needs to be taken.  So what percentage of Americans is transferring this awareness into action?  
 
With climate change and the business case for sustainable business strategies still hotly debated, is it a wonder why more businesses and individuals aren't boldly communicating business sustainability programs and results.  As the sustainability space evolves with emerging labels, guidelines, definitions, and reporting structures (not to mention domestic legislation and global agreements), it’s accompanied by critics internal and external to the space.  Granted, the contrasting conversations provide clarity and best practices but the real kudos are to those businesses engaged in the actual pursuit of sustainability.  The gap between awareness and action may represent the single largest opportunity for global sustainability progress.
 
Noted in our business sustainability consulting practice, getting started can often be the most difficult step in your business sustainability journey.  However, actions speak louder than words and true business sustainability value capture will come from individuals and organizational action.  Sustainability principals are universal, but their application in your business and specific circumstances yields unique results.  Communicating the "right" definition of sustainability defined by your business accelerates the adoption of sustainable business strategies mainstream.  The post, Positive Peer Pressure: A Powerful Ally to Change, the authors’ note, “Peer to peer interactions may be the single most neglected lever of change. When enlisted, they are change's most powerful ally; when resisted, they are its most stubborn foe. Peers in large organizations are invaluable in spreading behavior change across an enterprise. In that respect, they constitute a woefully underused set of resources, mostly accessible within the "informal elements" of our organizations.  Whenever significant numbers of peers interact formally or informally, they constitute a force to be reckoned with. When they share mutual respect, they will listen to, learn from, and secretly support one another in ways that can shape opinions, create resistance, or generate energy."  Expand the peer relationship to industry verticals, associations, contortions and innovative, sustainable best practices emerge.
 
While we may not have the "right" answers to the complex problems of global warming, climate change, and other environmental issues, the conversation is heating up.  As Theodore Roosevelt said, “It’s not the critic that counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena."