Social sustainability:
rising to the challenge

Welcome! I wonder, are you:

• involved in a local sustainability project?
  
• studying sustainability?
• looking for a new career in social sustainability?
• in charge of sustainability at your work?
  
• trying to ‘green’ your business?

Or perhaps sustainability is simply close to your heart.

In any of these cases, you will know how important it is to help our communities reduce their climate impact. Achieving social sustainability like this can often feel incredibly hard to achieve, but the good news is this site is all about making it more manageable.

I've worked in sustainability since 2009, and over the years I’ve met a lot of people who are highly motivated to tackle the problems of climate change. How fantastic! But when they start, they realise that to make a difference it’s not necessarily climate change they need to understand more about, it’s how people work!

That’s exactly what this site is about. The resources here are for everyone who wants to build a society that is more sustainable. Because change is definitely possible. And often, the skills we need to lead social sustainability change are the same skills we use every day when we support our families, enjoy time with our friends and collaborate with our co-workers.

My site aims to explain why it is normal for action on climate change to hit people-related challenges! And how to do something positive about this.

Sustainability must include everyone

A sustainable society has to include all of us. But taking sustainability action as a group or community is hard work – there’s no magic wand!

It means lots of different people working together – from businesses to families, and from younger to older. Maybe this sounds like something you have the skills and the motivation to lead? Increasingly, people are also managing anxieties and worries about climate change. On this site I talk about ways to do this.

Whatever your current or future sustainability aspirations, you are very welcome here! 

Your guide to social sustainability

On this site I am developing:

• Articles explaining what social sustainability is, and why I think it’s at the centre of all lasting sustainability change
• Videos on common challenges you might experience when trying to encourage change – and how to address them
• E-books to explore deeper and with exercises to apply to your own context

Understanding resistance to change

Let’s talk for a moment about one of the challenges that you may already be familiar with.

We all would prefer, at times, to ignore climate change. After all, it can feel worrying, confusing and so much bigger than us, so it’s very understandable to simply try to avoid engaging with it much at all.

Unfortunately, hoping climate change will all go away is not a useful ongoing strategy. Instead, understanding why this type of resistance to engaging is very normal, how we all do it, and how to respond empathetically, is vital.

So the resources I am working on will explain how you can lead on sustainability action which people can really feel part of and get behind.

What you'll find me talking about…

Here's what you will find on this site (and a few things you won’t):

You will find positive ideas (not doom and gloom): I’m generally quite a positive person, and part of that is because I think I am more effective (and happier) with a positive outlook! When one expects the worst, life sometimes obliges. My aim is to act as responsibly and compassionately as I can today.

You will find advice for sustainable communities (not adverts for sustainable products): whilst articles might reference particular initiatives, the site is not aimed at giving specific tips on how to reduce your individual carbon footprint. For one thing, there are plenty of brilliant sites out there which help with this already! Instead, I talk about how we can support and encourage people (our families, our employers, our communities) to achieve sustainability change.

You will find support for those who want to act (not attempts to convince people climate change is real): this site is not aimed at convincing anyone of the reality of climate change. If you think climate change isn't a big deal then I genuinely wish you all the best in supporting other important causes which are close to your heart. Our world needs everyone’s passions!