Sustainability Begins with Inclusion
I attended the AIB Sustainability Conference today and it left me genuinely encouraged. One of the first things I noticed was the presence of a sign language interpreter, a simple but powerful reminder that sustainability begins with inclusion. Accessibility is not an add-on. It signals who is welcomed into the future we are building.
A major theme throughout the day was the importance of storytelling. Benedict Cumberbatch opened with a reflection on how stories change behaviour, and the panel continued this thread, emphasising that the story must shift depending on who we are speaking to. Operations teams think in terms of feasibility and risk whereas innovation teams think about opportunity and differentiation. If we want sustainability to resonate, the story must meet people where they are.
Social sustainability was placed firmly at the centre of the conversation; belonging, equity, wellbeing, dignity. When sustainability is woven into business and economic models, DEI becomes inseparable from it. Even as DEI is rolled back in some regions, embedded sustainability pulls equity back to the fore. We also heard the importance of aligning our economic model and our sustainability model. Sustainability requires long-term thinking and long-term economics.
Lessons from the London Olympics
Alice Charles shared a powerful lesson from her time working with Ken Livingstone and the 2012 London Olympics, that legacy doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when leaders think big, follow the story through, and stay brave enough to hold the long-term vision. That legacy continues to shape the Earthshot Prize today. The lesson here; sustainability work must be done with a long lens: think big, design intentionally, and hold the vision.
Reframing Resources; innovation in unexpected places
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One thing we don’t do well in Ireland is to look outwards and see what others are doing. Contexts are different but we can always pull elements and adapt to our own context. We need to think differently, for example a resource like slurry could be an energy resource (anaerobic digestion) which would reposition farmers as energy creators whilst earning income as they help solve the climate problem. Through this slurry could be re-positioned as a resource not a problem and farmers can be central actors in solving Ireland’s energy challenges. Long term sustainability requires long term economic thinking and the story and policy need to reflect that opportunity.
Ireland needs to look outward and learn from other contexts.
Focus on Global Justice
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, delivered one of the most powerful messages of the day. She highlighted that in the developing world they are disproportionately bearing the costs of actions taken in teh West. Her line captured the imbalance with stark clarity;
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If you knock me down with your Bentley while I’m on a bicycle…..”
Big Business can contribute to instability
Yvonne emphasised that in the absence of ethical leadership, large companies will bulldoze their way into vulnerable regions. Big business can contribute to instability if incentivised by unchecked access to resources.
A reminder that climate change is fundamentally a justice issue, those least responsible are suffering the most. We must ask harder questions about the supply chain; Where are the materials coming from? Who is paying the human cost? What communities are being misplaced or harmed? Sustainability is not only about 'are we being green enough'.
A note from Professor Brian Cox
Prof Brian Cox told a beautiful story about Kepler noticing a snowflake on Charles Bridge in Prague and went on to write a book about the world as we understand it. He asked a simple question; “What is the symmetry of the snowflake that tells me about the rest of the world?
Professor Cox’s line deeply resonated:
“The acts of generating knowledge are so important, because the random walks into the space of the unknown are where the treasure is.” A powerful reminder that discovery comes from curiosity, exploration and noticing the small things. He emphasised the need to fund exploration across science, the arts and beyond, because answers often lie in the places we do not yet know how to define. He also referenced Feynman’s idea that “science is a satisfactory philosophy of ignorance” ie progress happens not because we know, but because we are willing to observe, question and learn from nature.
Dr. Jane Goodall
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A beautiful dedication was made to Dr. Jane Goodall who recently passed, by the marine biologist and climate activist, Flossie. From her research Flossie shared that our marine biology is helping us with our corals and micro plankton. How lucky we are that Ireland is one of the richest countries in the world with our marine biology. The final word went to Dr. Goodall who recorded a final message just before she died;
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“My last word, please never give up your fight to protect the natural world and all its inhabitants… for the future of all life”.
