Global thinking is key
How can we assume more social and economic responsibility? And what is the pandemic’s effect on our path to a more sustainable society? Interview with Dr Estelle Herlyn, Professor of Sustainability at FOM Düsseldorf.
Entering a state of crisis often forces people to rethink and to look for alternatives. Isn’t it therefore now the time to do more with regards to sustainability? Are we up to it as a society and economy?
The willingness to be more proactive with regards to sustainability is very mixed. It also depends greatly on how each individual has been personally affected during this crisis. For a lot of people the coronavirus pandemic has had unimagined consequences: some companies have had to cut working hours, others are facing bankruptcy. And as measures to increase sustainability initially require some additional financial input, the topic is currently not top of the agenda. Other companies perhaps do not feel the effects of the pandemic at all or not quite as strongly, as their business-model may function even in times of coronavirus. That way they have, of course, more flexibility with regards to thinking about sustainability.
What could businesses do to get through this crisis and, at the same time, to set themselves up to function in a more sustainable way in the future?
On the local level the steps to be taken are well known: reduce the local fleet, get company bicycles, move the office to the home, rearrange the company’s energy-mix – all these things can be useful in taking the first step towards creating an awareness for this subject within the company. However, there should not be too much value attributed to these measures, as they on their own do not possess enough leverage to solve the problem on a global level, which is the key to true, lasting sustainability. In order to do this many other forms of international cooperation are necessary. For example the Coalition for Development and Climate, which is an alliance of companies, organisations and private people, who are committed to support the implementation of Agenda 2030, the UN’s Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Climate Agreement. They do this by supporting co2-compensation projects in developing and emerging countries. So a company purchases a co2-certificate, confirming that elsewhere – as part of climate protection project – a particular amount of co2 emission is prevented or, for example, neutralised through trees. This way the global climate footprint is being improved, and in the end, this is the only thing that counts. It is thus possible to become financially climate neutral, to improve the living conditions of local people, and perhaps even to advance biodiversity.
“We have to become aware that everything is interconnected – as well as how fragile and little resilient it all is.”
To which extent does our political framework stand in the way of a possible move towards increasing sustainability?
Economists frequently mention the so-called ’externalisation of costs’, which basically means that the social or economic consequences of our actions are not being charged back, but passed on to a third party. In our case it remains cheaper to act unsustainably, which means for example to continue production in countries like Bangladesh, where environmental and social standards are extremely low. So under the current conditions sustainable production is not profitable, which is a dilemma.
What can we do to get out of this? Which beliefs should we let go of in order to deal with our planet in a more responsible way?
I think it is important to begin with becoming aware that everything is interconnected – as well as how fragile and little resilient it all is. This is what the current pandemic has highlighted in no uncertain terms. We have seen that our supposedly secure system can suddenly be shaken in its foundations by a virus. Even on a global scale. This should initiate a change of thinking on other levels, too, primarily regarding the protection of climate and the environment. Luckily this has already started in some areas. An increasing number of businesses do aim for sustainability as part of their business strategy and train their employees accordingly, thereby creating an awareness of the topic – Henkel in Düsseldorf for example are very proactive this way. In my opinion the most important thing is that we always take into account the global dimension, that we understand that as an individual we are part of the whole and moreover begin to get active on an international level.
What do you think is it that makes it so difficult for us to change our thinking?
Most of us have grown up as part of a system, in which a lot was taken for granted and appeared at first glance to function well. I assume that, with time, we got a bit lazy and questioned little. The virus has shaken us up. At least I hope it has.
How do you see the future? What are the chances of our society developing into a sustainable and responsible one?
I think that there is still a chance for that, however, the possibility of failure is just as real. We should realise, that our standard of living before the coronavirus pandemic may have been the highest we have ever had in Germany. Getting back to that would in itself be a great achievement. However, the situation in the developing and emerging countries is totally different: these countries have yet to reach a certain level of prosperity, and not at the expense of environment and climate. This can primarily be achieved by using new or sustainable technologies. In order to develop and position these, cooperation between countries is paramount, for example with regards to eco-friendly hydrogen technology. In short, if we keep on aiming for economic growth at the expense of others, then the future looks very gloomy indeed. However, if we strengthen our global awareness and act accordingly, then, hopefully, one day we can cope with many of the problems of our planet. •
Prof. Dr. Estelle Herlyn
Prof. Dr Estelle Herlyn is a business mathematician and Professor of Sustainability at the FOM University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf. She has been a business consultant for many years working with international companies. At the same time as working for FOM, she works freelance for the Institute for Application-oriented Knowledge Processing (FAW). She is also on the board of trustees of the Senate Institute for Politics and Public Interest and member of the German Society of the ’Club of Rome’.
Words: Elena Winter
Pictures: Melanie Zanin