Day 3 : The Sustainability Revolution: Revolutionary Conversations

Are we having revolutionary conversations?

The final webinar in our series examined the media’s role in sustainability and how in every important conversation there has to be a ‘sustainability moment’. We heard from Jon Williams, Managing Director of News & Current Affairs, RTÉ, and learned about the importance of the media reporting on defining climate change moments in a factual and accessible way.

We heard, too, about the importance of representation in the media and how it’s vital for marginalised individuals to be given the same opportunities as the majority, such as job opportunities and positive media representations that don’t rely on stereotypes, with an emphasis on the expression “If you can see it, you can be it”.

Adam Harris, CEO, AsIAm, raised some salient points about co-creation and accountability and how “sustaining the sustainability movement” is not about pitting competing interests against each other, but rather about collaboration. We explored questions such as, ‘How do we sustainably change an issue?’ ‘How do we move beyond the inspirational stories of individuals with disabilities?’ ‘How do we ensure people with disabilities are ready to enter the workforce when they leave school?’ and ‘What measures can we put in place to assist their journey?’

Finally, Jane McDaid, Founder & Head of Creative Innovation, Thinkhouse, spoke about the importance of leadership within organisations, with businesses needing to ask themselves, ‘What kind of leadership does our brand need?’ She said young people understand the value of their own voice and that they have the power to make or break a brand and that’s why it’s important that their concerns are listened to.

Jane also spoke about the importance of a circular economy, throwaway culture and consumerism, with an emphasis on the importance of tracking a product’s journey and understanding how we can reuse things. Young consumers are proactive, literate and entrepreneurial; if they can’t find a sustainable solution then they will create their own.