SW News 11

Just do it

Typically, at the start of a new year, our thoughts turn to the future. We resolve to make positive changes – to exercise more, work less, eat better.

We all know, from personal experience, that change is hard and that there are key ingredients for success. The first is clarity on the case for change - why we urgently need to do it, the risks if we don’t and the benefits if we do. The second is practical guidance on how to make the change and what to do differently, as well as the resources to implement. The third and by far the trickiest ingredient is willpower – the intrinsic motivation to put in the hard graft and keep going, even when it’s tough.

Creating a sustainable world is the ultimate 'change challenge' facing our generation. As we start 2021 the why is crystal clear. It’s summed up brilliantly by two of our features this month – a video by Johan Rockström of the Potsdam Institute and an article by McKinsey & Co. Much of the how and what is also known – net zero pathways, nature based solutions, regenerative agriculture (see our movie recommendation), the EU Green taxonomy, to name but a few.

Fortunately, the collective will for changeis also growing stronger by the day. Businesses and investors are increasingly on board, governments are gearing up for bold policy action, and a recent poll showed that citizens are right behind them. Everyone recognises the urgency and the opportunity, as this open letter to US President Joe Biden shows.

So….the case is clear. The solutions are known. All that's left …to steal a line from Nike…is to just do it.

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