Prior to 2000, most people had a hard time spelling sustainability, let alone practicing it.
Public awareness began to rise early in the decade, and thanks to influencers such as Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth); William McDonough and Michael Braungart (Cradle to Cradle); and Michael Pollan (Omnivore’s Dilemma), sustainability became more mainstream and widely understood.
With this growing awareness of: climate change, land use, food shortages, and dwindling water supplies, almost every major corporation today now supports sustainability in some form – as either a real commitment or marketing ploy.
As leaders, designers, filmmakers, artists, activists, and environmentalists champion the cause, the number of conscientious consumers who inspect labels and do their due diligence before making a purchase, continues to grow.
We now see LEED guidelines incorporated into building codes on every level – from residential homes to skyscrapers and industrial parks. Green initiatives and sustainable practices are forming the mainframe and foundations of a broad spectrum of businesses.
Sustainability is now both an environmental and economic necessity. And going forward, smart new businesses across all sectors will be shaped by sustainability in order to succeed.
