Raphael ThysA Glimpse Into Our Net Zero Future
The four forces driving the world of business and entertainment towards Net Zero and sustainability.
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Published in
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11 min read
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4 days ago
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Photo of a person holding a glass ball reflecting the sea by Drew Beamer on Unsplash
What will the world look like if we hit our net-zero targets? I don’t mean the obvious, such as our electricity being generated mainly from renewables, petrol cars being a thing of the past or more space being given back to nature. Rather in this article I’m interested in what the world of business and entertainment will be like.
Considering global businesses are responsible for the majority of emissions in the world today, much of the economy today is not sustainable. It is cycle of continuous consumption, powered by fossil fuels and resource extraction, followed by waste as we consume even more to drive shareholder returns.
Whilst this system has helped improve the world in many ways through new cycles of innovation and competition (the average person today is far better off than at any point in history), it is clear that adaptation is needed to prevent the destruction of the environment and to restore what has already been lost.
So, what will a greener future for business and entertainment look like? And how will it be achieved?
1. A Climate of Generosity
Photo of a man wearing a Patagonia T-Shirt, by Maëva Vigier on Unsplash
How are you spreading generosity? I recently read the book Infectious Generosity by Chris Anderson, where he proposes that spreading generous actions and ideas not only will make you happier, it will also improve the planet. Generosity can take many forms, from individual action to international programmes, and businesses can play a big role too. One example I admire and am a customer of (it is also mentioned in the book) is that of Patagonia.
Patagonia is one of the leading outdoor brands in the world, founded in 1973 by the avid mountaineering enthusiast Yvon Chouinard. Since its inception, it has aimed to create outdoor clothing and equipment that is less damaging to the environment than what came before. However, Yvon increasingly became concerned by climate change and that Patagonia was part of the…