Sustainability is currently on everyone's lips. Especially in the last two years, interest in sustainable ways of thinking and living, in environmental protection measures, and in improving living conditions has increased significantly. Social media has played a major role in this. More and more young people are informing and inspiring themselves here on the topics of fair fashion, health, nutrition, and the environment. A rethink among older and newer generations is noticeable and shows that sustainability is now a social and political issue that can no longer be ignored.
A social responsibility
With the signing of the 2030 Agenda in September 2015, the member states of the United Nations set 17 goals that strive for sustainable development in the areas of environment, social affairs, and the economy. The so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reflect global challenges that we encounter daily and that still mean precarious living conditions for many people. These include poverty, war and unrest, environmental damage, and inequality. To achieve the intended goals, individual member states are increasingly joining initiatives and projects of the Agenda. In Austria, for example, the civil society platform SDG Watch Austria was founded in 2017, which consists of a total of 140 different organizations (including Caritas, Verein Fair Planet, Wiener Tafel, WWF) and is dedicated to the implementation of the UN goals. With projects such as “Make Europe Sustainable for All” or “SDG Initiative 2018”, the organizations create public and political awareness and involve different social groups in the exchange.
A corporate responsibility
A positive development towards sustainability is also emerging in the professional world. The preservation and use of more natural resources, a responsible approach to them, and an improvement in general living conditions are now on the daily agenda for many economic actors. An example of this is the Swedish and globally active online gaming and sports betting company Mr Green. Mr Green Careers shows that the success of a company is not only measured by profitability, but also by its sustainability concept and the provision of an attractive workplace for employees. On the one hand, the principle of Green Gaming is followed here, which aims at a responsible and controlled approach to gambling. On the other hand, Mr Green is also a member of the 2030 Agenda and actively and voluntarily contributes to the achievement of the SDGs with measures and projects. Another actor that is rethinking its means of production and marketing is the US sports goods manufacturer Nike. For example, with the Grind material palette, Nike is already recycling used clothing and shoes. But other materials such as water bottles are also used in the manufacture of new items. The general production of the products is also intended to function increasingly according to the principle of sustainability in the coming years. To achieve this goal, Nike is striving for manufacturing using renewable energies, such as geothermal, wind, and solar energy.
There is still a lot that can be driven forward and improved in terms of sustainability, especially in the mindset of the population. But some companies, civil society organizations, and public figures are already taking important steps in the right direction. This underscores the role model function of such actors, which should ideally be used to support a good cause. Now one can only hope that more entrepreneurs and individuals will follow the already sustainably acting players in the near future.
