Sustainable development focuses on many issues, from poverty and inequality, to hunger and renewable energy. These are some of the hard issues we think about when we think of sustainable development. However, the ideas of sustainable development also cover other topics, such as good health and wellbeing, as seen in SDG 3. In this article, we break down how this conversation, and the topic of wellbeing, will be important for all companies moving into the 21st Century to achieve sustainable development.
This article was written by Felicity McLean, Senior Sustainability Consultant at Salterbaxter, a creative consultancy at the service of sustainability. To view the original article, click here.
Whats the issue?
‘Nature has a unique ability to not only bring consolation in times of stress, but, also increase our creativity, empathy and a sense of wonder. Even small contacts with nature can reduce feelings of social isolation and be effective in protecting our mental health, and preventing distress. During the long months of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature.
Research from the Mental Health Foundation on the mental health impacts of the pandemic showed going for walks outside was one of our top coping strategies and 45% of us reported being in green spaces had been vital for our mental health. Websites that showed footage from webcams of wildlife saw hits increase by over 2000%. Wider studies also found that during lockdowns, people not only spent more time in nature but were noticing it more. It was as if we were re-discovering at our most fragile point our fundamental human need to connect with nature.’
The theme for Mental Health Awareness week 2021 is ‘Nature’ – the Mental Health Foundation citing nature as ‘our greatest untapped resource for a mentally healthy future.’ For sustainability professionals, the preservation and regeneration of nature is not just essential for emotional wellbeing but for planetary health, resilient supply chains, and accounts for $44Trillion global GDP. So, this week seems like a good opportunity to connect the fragile and crucial symbiosis of all three: nature, sustainability and mental health and wellbeing.
A degenerative status quo
We have run the global economy of the last few centuries based largely on degenerative systems – meaning produce beneficial short-term and medium-term results, but also undermine and degrade nature and society in the long run. This degenerative global economy has treated both human and social capital with the same short-mid termism – and loses about $1trillion each year due to depression, anxiety, and employee burnout.
Thankfully, degenerative economic systems have no place in future-fit businesses. It is a truth commonly known amongst the sustainability community that becoming “less bad” is simply not enough; we need to become “more good” — going beyond net-zero to truly net-positive, regenerative outcomes. This means a new paradigm, a new way of thinking, and requires a mindset shift. Long term thinking, positive impact and holistic outcomes
A regenerative approach to sustainability leadership
Regeneration means (1) restoring, renewing and/or healing systems we all depend on, while also (2) improving the ability of said systems to restore, renew and/or heal themselves more effectively.
Sustainability leaders such as Kering, PepsiCo, and Starbucks are switching to regenerative agricultural practice as a long term, positive solution to the degradation caused by excessive industrialised agriculture. Unilever’s latest Positive Beauty initiative expands the principles of regeneration to ‘transform the systems that hold individuals back – by advocating new policies, laws and social norms that will promote inclusion, health and wellbeing’ for all members of society, ‘embracing a new era of beauty’ that’s inclusive, equitable and regenerative.
Within this broader paradigm of inclusion, resilience and regeneration, mental health and wellbeing is creeping into the sustainability agenda – applying future-fit thinking to issues around human and social capital. The construction and development sector (one of the ‘dirtiest’ industries by emissions standards) are building for wellbeing (WELL Buildings) and creating long term social value is often cited beyond net-zero targets and climate action as a longer-term ideal-state.
Towards a regenerative approach for wellbeing
Just as with the climate sector, employee and societal wellbeing need a new series of targets and collective ambition go way beyond doing ‘less bad’. How are we ensuring our workplaces are regenerative and not draining? How do we move beyond just equipping employees with the skills to be more resilient (i.e. adding a fix) to ensuring we are leaving a positive impact on the purpose and wellbeing of our teams (by solving the issues)? What happens when we regenerate a culture of fear to a positive culture of failure? This will require systems thinking – to address the drivers and long-term health complications caused by cortisol-fuelled productivity spikes to win in a short-term world. Just as big business needs to be regenerative across nature, agriculture and supply chains, we need to be regenerative with our people, too. This, after all, will boost creativity, productivity and loyalty and help employees keep up the good fight.
In short, sustainability leadership needs mindful leadership – inner work, across culture, leadership behaviours, and us all as individual employees – a tough ask when we are working hard towards net zero, battling eco-anxiety and managing a transition back to work post-COVID.
Patagonia has unsurprisingly championed individual wellbeing alongside their sustainability leadership initiatives – tackling climate anxiety amongst employees through expert knowledge-sharing and inspiring activism, providing opportunities for action, growth and learning alongside self-care.
Activist group Extinction Rebellion check-in on emotional well-being at the start of each meeting, with a reminder to protect personal boundaries and “not to take on too much work, not to say ‘yes’ too fast, and to be responsible for their own wellbeing”.
As we prepare for a new world of work, it is embodying principles of reflection, respect, rest, resilience, and radical inclusion that will cultivate a truly regenerative business, inside and out.
How are you bringing learnings from sustainability leadership into your workplace? I’d love to hear from you.
