{"id":3050,"date":"2017-04-27T12:05:47","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T12:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/astraea.net\/blog\/?p=3050"},"modified":"2017-04-27T14:04:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T14:04:03","slug":"time-is-running-out-behind-the-curve-on-sdgs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astraea.net\/blog\/time-is-running-out-behind-the-curve-on-sdgs\/","title":{"rendered":"Time is running out: Behind the curve on SDGs"},"content":{"rendered":"

SustainAblility and Globescan’s recent survey of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals<\/a> is not encouraging.<\/p>\n

\"Progress<\/a>
Progress on transition to sustainable development to date (% of experts)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over 500 experts contributed.\u00a0 The consensus is that progress and attention is lagging the need for change.\u00a0 If data is restricted to those with a decade or more of experience the picture is worse.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cPoor\u201d<\/a>
\u201cPoor\u201d progress on transition to sustainable development to date (% of experts)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Progress is dominated by social entrepreneurs and NGOs while national governments’ and corporates’ performance is considered poor.<\/p>\n

\"Contribution<\/a>
Contribution of organizations to progress on the SDGs (% of experts)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lack of attention by governments and corporates is underpinned by their “clients” – voters and consumers – so clearly there remains among people generally a lack of awareness of the need and opportunity for system change.\u00a0 People don’t perceive the dangers of failing commercial and social systems and the disintegration of Earth’s natural environment upon which we rely.<\/p>\n

Perhaps this is not surprising.\u00a0 Except for change agents and social entrepreneurs, people are not engaged with the problems of the world but instead stick to traditional mindsets and routines.\u00a0 (The SDG’s themselves are fundamentally flawed in their promotion of growth, as opposed to working within natural laws and the capacity of the biosphere.)<\/p>\n

It saddens me to reflect that these results seem to repeat the consensus of previous surveys despite the zeitgeist of business, politics and society which\u00a0 is for new systems, like government reform, purposeful business, ethical leadership and sustainability.<\/p>\n

For example, one of the largest chemical companies in the world, Akzo Nobel<\/a>, puts environment and safety before financial results when reporting, but the organisation itself remains hierarchical and inward looking in its culture.\u00a0 Despite its global reach, its management is dominated by one nationality, one ethnic group\u00a0 and one gender.\u00a0\u00a0 Despite its wealth, it remains cowed by analysts and asset mangers to conform to outdated measures of performance, which weaken its flexibility and capacity to deliver livelihoods to the 45,000 families it is responsible for,\u00a0 to serve its millions of consumers and to reform its technical infrastructure to reflect the demands of the planet.\u00a0 Despite its forward thinking, it retains inflexible hierarchies in which senior managers have little time to think and those further down the pyramid must simply obey.\u00a0 It has achieved much under its forward thinking CEO, Ton Buchner (who often wears an SDG lapel pin and is an acquaintance), but how much more resilient and attractive would the organisation be if he and his organisation were not hamstrung by traditional thinking?<\/p>\n

This pattern is reflected in too many large organisations, both public and private.\u00a0 It is worse in those led by blinkered capitalists and professionals who long ago made a Faustian deal for success and turn a blind eye to the real problems facing humanity.<\/p>\n

We do not have decades to change.\u00a0 We have years, hopefully.\u00a0 Christiana Figueres,\u00a0 former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2010-2016<\/a>, who catalysed the Paris climate accord, has said that if carbon emissions don’t peak in the next three or four years “it will be too late”.\u00a0 (This matches our forecast made in 2000.)<\/p>\n

It is long past due to raise public awareness and liberate the ideas that can enable transformation of society.\u00a0 The needed change is only possible if driven by people, not governments or rules, which are symptoms of the pyramid system squashing life out of us and the planet.<\/p>\n

How can you help?\u00a0 Simply change your thinking.\u00a0 Challenge your assumptions.\u00a0 Ask yourself if you really think it’s possible for 9 billion people to throw out as much garbage as you do in a year.\u00a0 Nature is breaking under the weight of humanity now.\u00a0 We, particularly those of us in cities, must divest ourselves of the hierarchical values of greed and seek new ways of living which nurture nature and relationships rather than break them up.<\/p>\n

This means giving up the big salary and choosing a different world.\u00a0 It means taking your children out of that expensive traditional school, which has been the path to success,\u00a0 and liberating the human potential of young people by encouraging thinking (not rote learning for exams) and team experiences (not individual trial and reward).\u00a0 We must encourage understanding of their own bodies (not feed them processed “food”), community (not just “people like us”),\u00a0 and the biosphere (whose continued vitality their daily choices determine).<\/p>\n

If you think a change in life is in order, go for it!\u00a0\u00a0 While there’s time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SustainAblility and Globescan’s recent survey of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is not encouraging. Over 500 experts contributed.\u00a0 The consensus is that progress and attention is lagging the need for change.\u00a0 If data is restricted to those with a decade or more of experience the picture is worse. Progress is dominated by social entrepreneurs …
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