EarthDay 2017
By Nicole Sala, LTS Sustainability Analyst Intern
This year marks the 48th celebration of Earth Day, which has grown to be the largest civic observance event in the world with over 1 billion people participating in activities (earthday.org). This year’s campaign theme: environmental & climate literacy. How can we educate ourselves and empower others to drive actions that sustain the planet and people 10 years, 20 years and 100+ years from now?
I recently attended the International Society of Sustainability Professionals #ISSPBig3 webinar, Looking Into the Future with Sustainability’s Big 3: Interface, Patagonia and Unilever, and was inspired by the answers to the panel question, “What are you most optimistic about for the future?”
Here, I have recapped what the Big 3 are most optimistic about and share LTS’s reflection to this question.
The Big 3:
The next generation of sustainability professionals and conscious consumers. – Unilever
Negative carbon technologies. – Interface
Businesses can be change agents. – Patagonia
Long Trail Sustainability:
Every individual and industry can be an environmentalist. – LTS
Environmental sustainability practices are no longer limited to the role of a scientist, individual activist or a niche field of research.
At LTS we embrace sustainability as an approach that can and should be utilized by all. In fact, some of the most influential and groundbreaking sustainability efforts of our day stemmed from people involved in different fields of study or work simply caring enough to find better, more conscience ways to achieve their goals.
Even LTS began in such a way. In the late 90’s, while working in organizational development, LTS Founder, Melissa Hamilton, began to recognize the imbalance between business, society, economy and the environment. With a degree in Anthropology, she understood the crucial relationship between people and the environment. Combined with her insight on the inner workings of business through organizational development, Hamilton set out to build a company that would help other organizations to bridge this gap.
LTS is grateful to work with clients in all realms of industry, from outdoor gear apparel (The North Face) to industrial machinery (Hypertherm), as well as Education. (Harvard Extension School).
We are optimistic that every individual and business will become an environmentalist, working to meet current needs without compromising the future.
Are you looking for ways to better your business?
LTS leads corporate sustainability workshops which engage your entire organization and help to identify areas where you can reduce impacts.
Contact us to learn more!
