Editorial by Managing Director Alexander De Beir
What’s happening on June 5th again?
Honestly, I am not a big fan of “day of…”. There are so many of them, often accompanied by a patronizing message that tries to instill a sense of guilt in us. Strangely enough, it sometimes has a counterproductive effect: you try to give the topic some extra attention that day and easily move on. The next day, the urgency has faded into the background.
When I recently noticed a reference to the next edition of World Environment Day on June 5th, my initial thought was, “Here we go again… Aren’t we already bombarded with daily admonitions and obligations regarding the environment and sustainability?”
At the same time, I have to admit that I couldn’t have spontaneously answered the question, “When is World Environment Day celebrated?”. This realization prompted me to find out when this day was first established by the United Nations. The answer, 1973, made me think. The fact that it was proclaimed a year earlier at the very first “United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, June 5-16, 1972, in Stockholm” (UN.org, 2024), the year of my birth, intrigued me even more. Throughout my entire life, there has been an international, collective awareness of the need not to view our planet as an entitlement but as a formidable yet fragile gift that we must treat with respect and awareness of its transience.
Poor management?
A look into the action plan of 1972 (a PDF of a printed report) not only took me back to the pre-digital era with some nostalgia but also taught me that: The Action Plan contained three main categories:
- Global Environmental Assessment Programme (watch plan);
- Environmental management activities;
- International measures to support assessment and management activities carried out at the national and international levels.
In addition, these categories were broken down into 109 recommendations.
Four words stood out to me spontaneously: assessment, measures, management and recommendations. But especially “management“, the ability to control, direct, manage to guide recommendations and measures for better preservation of our planet. How could it have gone so wrong? Where had the plan failed that we now face climate warming, wildfires, floods and unbearable heatwaves with anxiety?
Perhaps the link between the then-incipient climate change and natural disasters was less evident and there was likely a lack of economic impetus to work towards more sustainable entrepreneurship and investments in circular economies.
Five minutes on June 5th
In 2024, the economic world has undergone a significant transformation in this regard. Companies no longer use pure profit to evaluate the health of their activities but speak in terms of ESG (Environmental Social Governance) and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) to convince customers and employees of their virtuous approach.
Many of them will undoubtedly seize June 5th to communicate this. And, upon further reflection, I actually think this is a good thing! In these uncertain times where some are guilty of doom-mongering, I look with great admiration at entrepreneurs who have managed to reinvent themselves as accelerators of the green economy. Interim Managers who correctly assess the importance of this will undoubtedly have an edge over others. Companies that dare to engage with them to facilitate this transformation will also benefit.
I recommend that everyone who can spare five minutes today, the day after June 5th, to browse the internet and look for fantastic ideas and advancements, conceived or realized by both seasoned entrepreneurs and young members of the new active generation. Below, to whet your appetite, are some interesting links. I did this myself and assure you: it provides a boost and the conviction that with courage, determination and enthusiasm, we can offer very bright prospects to future generations!
https://www.theoxygenproject.com/post/top-15-inventions-that-could-save-the-planet-today/
https://www.tomorrowsworldtoday.com/sustainability/most-eco-friendly-inventions-of-2022/
https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/05/15/positive-environmental-stories-from-2024
