The Times They Are a-Changin'

My thirteen-year-old son refuses to use paper towels to dry his hands. He would wave his hands in the air for quite some time and patiently wait, all in the name of reducing waste. He also left non-vegetarian food, and when anyone tried to debate with him on the rationale, he would advocate for a lower carbon footprint with every meal.

For a long time, I was unable to understand his convictions. To me, sustainability was a concept largely confined to conserving trees, a topic we might encounter briefly in passing, like the occasional news segment on the Chipko movement or the yearly discussion about the Delhi smog and the Air Quality Index. But to my son's generation, it was becoming a call to action that resonated deeply.

My awakening to the shifting tides of environmental consciousness came gradually, particularly as I ventured into the consulting world. Suddenly, sustainability wasn't just a buzzword; it was a bottom-line consideration for corporations worldwide. I was struck by Patagonia's bold 2011 advertisement urging consumers not to buy their products, a groundbreaking move that challenged the traditional consumerist mindset and paved the way for a new era of corporate responsibility.

The concept of circularity—reduce, reuse, recycle—became a guiding principle, and I marveled at how companies like Patagonia were leading by example. As I delved deeper into my role, I discovered a landscape where brands that prioritized environmental stewardship were gaining favour with consumers and governments alike.

India's ambitious goals for 50% renewable energy by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2070, respectively, signalled a seismic shift in global priorities. The Government was also slowly moving from the nudges to mandatory regulations. SEBI was slowly introducing ESG reporting in mandatory filings and the recently issued Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) core, was taken to the level of including supply chain and independent assurance. That meant companies needed to get these verified by an independent third party before reporting.

 Certain facts came as a surprise to me. The cost of solar power has slowly come at par with other forms of electricity and as we give it a more push, it may turn out to be even cheaper than the electricity generated through non-renewable sources. The use of plastic water bottles has been slowly replaced by glass bottles and it is even making economic sense; we rarely see plastic bottles in large hotels now.

Everywhere I looked, I saw signs of change. The ubiquitous plastic bags of yesteryear were giving way to reusable alternatives, and brands were redesigning packaging with sustainability in mind. The urgency of limiting global temperature rise to avoid catastrophic consequences was palpable, with governments implementing policies like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to incentivize eco-friendly practices.

Yet, amidst these sweeping transformations, I couldn't help but reflect on the role of individual accountability. Figures like Greta Thunberg, once dismissed as attention-seekers, had succeeded in galvanizing a global conversation on sustainability. It was a reminder that the power to effect change lay not just in corporate boardrooms or government halls but also in the choices we made as consumers.

After all, as the saying goes, there may be enough for everyone's needs, but not for everyone's greed. At some point in time, we may need to think about consumerism and consume only those resources which are necessary for comfortable survival. I still remember the concept of circularity was inbuilt in the Indian psyche and our parents reused all the resources before throwing them as a waste.

Today I believe that sustainability is not just a lofty ideal but a necessity, a legacy we owe to future generations. We are already witnessing climatic upheavals and if we do not act soon, we may reach a point of no return in saving our precious one earth. In 1987, the United Nations defined sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising on the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Perhaps my son was subtly reminding me of that. I cannot help but think of this song of Bob Dylan being so relevant:

Come gather 'round people

 Wherever you roam

 And admit that the waters

 Around you have grown

 And accept it that soon

 You'll be drenched to the bone

 If your time to you is worth savin'

 And you better start swimmin'

 Or you'll sink like a stone

 For the times they are a-changin'

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