Clear is not a word that goes well with the word sustainability. People use it for whatever situation these days. It seems to be one of the hottest word around. One good friend of mine stopped using it indefinitely, because he found it was misused by many. What exactly does it mean to me?

I believe a sustainable world is a world in which people take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Almost every action has impact, on ourselves, our surroundings, this earth. Many of us have the choice to make decisions that are not or marginally harmful to others, our earth and ourselves. You may call this the balance between people, planet and profit. It means making sure that the decisions you take today, do not negatively impact (present inhabitants of) this earth and future generations to come.

This does not mean we all have to throw away our dishwasher, wear the same clothes every day or all eat macrobiotically. We are all accustomed to some kind of welfare and we definitely do not have to throw it all away. However, we can make a different choice, call it a change of lifestyle that respects balance on this planet. There are millions of choices we make every day from the moment we wake up. Which shampoo to use, how long to shower, what breakfast to eat, what transport to take or food to cook, what holiday destination to choose, which bank to put your money on. Let’s all make that choice a more sustainable one!

Our habits, attitude or relationships to a product are as important as the product itself. Sustainability is not mainly in the physical technology of – let’s call it – the shampoo, a garment, a cucumber or eco-holiday for that matter, it is in our relationship to it. Achieving sustainable development will require changes not only in technology and innovation, but also in our mindset and goals.