The world is moving towards a common agreement that doing nothing about
sustainability issues is no longer an option and the need to adapt our
societies and economies to sustainable patterns of
consumption is a pressing one (Purt 2011).
Social, economic and environmental imperatives are directing both
governmental and corporate policies in the international sustainability agenda (Wong, 2009). The UK government and many others are
increasing their policy frameworks for environmental protection and also believe additional emission charges and taxation
should be considered (AGreenerFestival. n.d.).
Many organisations, find that along side the laws, their performance is
now judged not only by the impact they have on human and social wellbeing, but also the natural environment (Sustainable
Event Solutions. n.d.).
Despite the Events and Sustainability is very important, however, the record on moving towards sustainability so far appears to be quite poor. We might always hear about it, sustainable development is an urgent issue, and has been for many years, but via political it has been slow-paced. For example, there are 1.3 billion people without access to clean water; about half of people are not getting adequate sanitation. Therefore, in what way to push national leaders pay more attention to the sustainability is more important.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that National Leaders need to pay more attention to the issue of sustainability, but from my research, it shows that sustainability is a big issue with governments across the world, although I feel that this may be more so in the developed countries than those in developing countries.
ReplyDeleteMany of them, as I've stated in the blog, are bringing in laws that will force companies to develop more sustainable practices.
Due to profits, a lot of them also move their factories to developing countries where this is not such a big issue, which can create a loss of employment so it is a tricky one to handle.
I also find, that a lot of these problems of clean water and adequate sanitation is a problem that affects developing countries. In reference to national leaders, the biggest problem, from my experience in growing up in kenya, is one of corruption. Many a times, money is been given to national leaders, to help fund cleaner water /fight poverty etc, yet that money never reaches the cause, yet is eaten up by the politicians and fake papers are shown to the sponsors to keep them 'happy.'
The problem also arises in forms of consumers. Although we hear a lot of sustainability messages, and many are willing to pay more for a sustainable product, there is a vast number of consumers to whom this is not a big deal.
The job of marketers, I guess would be to make this a big deal, and install sustainability values into a consumers value system, a difficult task.
'For example, there are 1.3 billion people without access to clean water; about half of people are not getting adequate sanitation.' what you said there is true, but there is also a problem is getting this issue solved, as funds are required any many of the non for profit charity organisations have a reputation that all the money donated goes towards administrative costs, not to the cause itself. this perception, and also the idea that it doesn't directly affect 'me' makes it harder to solve the issue.
Glastonbury, by employing all sustainable practices, and donating money to environmental causes can help in reducing this problem, and the more people, companies and other festival organisations that can get on board, the faster we can hep in reducing such problems.
Thank you for your respond,I had gain more from your replay. That is true customers are willing to pay more to a sustainable product, but customer also have to distinguish which one is real pro-environmental which one is'greenwash' product.
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ReplyDeleteSustainability is important because all the actions that we make today will affect everything in the future. In order to avoid the negative effects that limit the choices of generations in future, everyone needs to have responsibility and specific actions with sustainability in the world that they live in.
ReplyDeleteEnvironmental resources have become limited so people need to be aware of the requirements of sustainability, for inst. sustaining the supply of resources so that we can sustain human development.