How Do We Make Sustainability More Inclusive?

During 2020 (aka the “Year of the Reckoning” that some have affectionately called it), how we can use our collective power to build an “inclusive” future/workplace/literally everything has been the subject of many thought pieces. However to build an equitable and inclusive path forward, we must center sustainability in that discussion as well.

‘Inclusive’ and ‘Sustainable’ are both Big Words, that while not ambiguous in meaning, seem to have become catch all words for companies signaling to people that they want to do whatever it is they do, better. 

However these terms at times find themselves at odds with each other as sustainably designed goods are currently by design not very inclusive, pricing out the average consumer and often only accessible by those with the highest amounts of disposable income.

If you perform a quick Google Search, you will find many articles listing the reasons why this is so (namely fare wages and supply and demand) and almost acceptance as the fact that anything better for you, the environment or the person who made it just HAS to cost more. 

Seastainable, a blog for a self-proclaimed social business, after running through this list writes “even if that’s the case, we should be okay with it, because this is the true price of consuming our products – a price that captures environmental externalities that we’ve chosen to ignore in the first place.”

But should that be the case? The premiumization of sustainable goods can sometimes simply be a fun case of virtue signaling, which can be noted as the performative act of an individual  equal to the green-washing or woke washing that most major corporations are often accused of.

An often cited statistic is “of those inclined to purchase environmentally friendly products, 3 in 5 (61%) would only buy green items if they cost the same or less than non-eco-friendly products.”

So how do we really make sustainability inclusive and bring more people to the party? 

  1. Shifting Consumer Demand Toward Reusables. It is a tale as old as time, our forefathers recycled and repaired because in the end that was not only the more cost effective choice but sometimes was the only choice.

  2. Increasing Consumer Demand for Sustainable Products. If you build it, they will come. But you can’t build a lot of it unless a lot of people come.  Behavioral research also shows time and time again, that when consumers see their neighbors or peer groups implementing a green behavior, they are more likely to do so as well.

  3. Laws, Straight Up. As individuals we can do a lot to harness or collective power and Work on the System vs. Within it, and one such way is by showing up in our communities and engaging with our politicians for them to do more.  Canada declared that it will BAN (that doesn’t happen by accident) single-use plastic items by the end of next year. 

If you are currently investigating how to make sustainability more inclusive in your community, drop me a line!

Why is Sustainability Still Thought of as a Luxury Good?

Last week, Richard Florida published 6 Rules for Sustainable City Development and he underscored the importance of inclusive city planning. Florida didn’t define what he means by inclusion, but one can assume he is referring to the variety of voices that live, work and play in urban neighborhoods yet are often left out of the conversation by the affluent founders of services and products If you have been around this particular discussion for a while, your first thought might be, “well duh, including different perspectives should be everyone’s first thought!” But sadly, it isn’t.

The first time I really thought about this conversation was in relation to environmental sustainability. After stumbling on an episode of Shark Tank and seeing a team of entrepreneurs trying to market a $20 collapsible metal straw During this episode one of the shark’s raised the question, “Why would someone in a lower income bracket purchase this luxury good?”

It is a great question. When we think of the sustainable or ‘green’ innovations in the world of consumer goods, there are great companies doing great things! From recycled water bottles with new lives as shoes and coats to Tesla’s long range luxury electric vehicles, the world is making progress.  These items however are often just as much as a status symbol as they are a matter of conscientiousness and environmental consideration.

While understandably the business of innovation requires high profit margins, I believe there are still ways to bring small changes to our often forgotten populations. Companies like Chicobag collect reusable totes and grocery bags from those of us Marie Kondo-ing our collections and provide them to lower income families while government organizations like GrowNYC (full disclosure I am a regular volunteer here) provide organic groceries to New Yorkers while supporting local farmers and providing fresh food access to those on government assistance.

Thus, I think it up to all of us no matter the industry we work in to consider the methods which we can bring more voices to the table. Personally, my 2019 intention is to bring awareness of taking the conversation out of just certain circles to the mainstream of a generation hungry for change.