After an incredibly hectic November and early December - I interacted with some 750 individuals over this time - things are finally winding down here at Terra Infirma Towers. This is the last full day of operation until the New Year.
So, here's a little reflection of the fifteen most important things I've learnt/had reaffirmed over the last 12 months:
- Despite "the current economic climate", the big players are doing more on sustainability, not less;
- Partially as a result, sustainability is becoming an issue of life and death for small/medium size businesses;
- Expecting a direct return on investment on your environmental programmes is like driving on a motorway in second gear;
- You should be 'farming' rather than 'hunting' sustainability;
- There is a big shift from worrying about outputs (emissions, pollutants) to inputs (materials energy);
- Learn from the Feed In Tariff hoohah - beware subsidies;
- The main barrier to sustainability is only 6 inches wide - the space between your ears;
- Culture change is more important than shiny new technology
- Chip & Dan Heath's "Switch" model of culture change works well for sustainability;
- Participation is an effective method of engagement;
- To ensure sustainable change you must hunt down and eliminate perverse incentives with extreme prejudice;
- If you're going to appoint sustainability champions, make sure they have a well defined role, not just vague words like "ambassador";
- Questions are the most powerful weapon in the sustainability practitioner's armoury;
- Responsibility must be aligned with authority and vice versa;
- Sustainability must be integrated into everything, by everybody, everytime.
