A NEW VISION AND DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY IS NEEDED

There is a need for a new vision and definition of sustainability. Why?

The current view and definition puts human beings at the centre of it, i.e. sustainable development is about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Included within this definition is the view and recognition of planetary limits or boundaries and how we must not exceed those. This means that the status quo is maintained with tweaks and changes with the recognition that we must not exceed these limits and boundaries.

Another view is needed, one that includes all life not just human life.

In sustaining all life on this planet, we sustain ourselves. This is the recognition that all life exists in an intrinsically interconnected and mutually interdependent web, the web of life. We human beings are part of this.

We, among all other life, depend on it for our very existence and survival. This means then we need to sustain all life. The definition of sustainability changes to the ability to sustain all life on this planet. We therefore need to move to life sustaining practices in order to maintain this ongoing circular continuum of what is essentially one big life support system. This in essence is a systemic circular view of life, the actual reality of our mutual co-existence.

This is quite different from the current paradigm where we perceive the world as being here for us and us alone, or the world revolves around us. This view of the planet and ourselves is based on a fundamental separation from nature. We do not see ourselves as part of the web of life but rather separate and removed from it. This fundamental perception or view of ourselves and the world has led to the depletion and destruction of the very thing that sustains us and all life. And lets face it we cannot have an economy or economic growth based on depletion and destruction as that in the end is not sustainable. Business in the end will cease to exist.

This means that business repositions and re-perceives itself with a new purpose and vision. Human beings begin to see their role on this planet with a renewed purpose. Instead of feeling isolated, alone, where work and living is meaningless, life is re-perceived with a worthwhile mission as we all contribute to enacting this new vision with clarity, purpose and meaning. This also brings about social cohesion around a common united purpose.

THE INVITATION

This is an invitation to form a core team of committed people to make this project a reality, how we can move sustainability to where it needs to be with a new vision and purpose.

Each of you have been chosen as a key element of life sustaining practices as being leaders of circular economy, doughnut economics, regeneration, regenerative farming, biomimicry - learning from nature (product design and innovation) and current sustainability practices.

This team will form the foundation of the project.

WHO I AM

My name is Jane Cull and I am an author, speaker and consultant on change. I am the author of 3 books, an expert on the Biology of Cognition (how we construct worlds and realities in language) and my latest work is on how we think as being the basis for change. This is presently in the context of self development however I will be bridging this into sustainability should this project go ahead.

I was the Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Systems Studies and a former member of the Barcelona Consensus, a project dedicated to transitioning to a sustainable society. I am also part of the Great Transition Initiative (GTI), an international network of scholars and activists that analyzes alternative scenarios and charts a path to a hopeful future. I also initiated and led a global campaign to transition to a sustainable economy, Circular Economy.