Happy Earth Hour 2022!

I was going to open this piece with a typical, “Earth Hour is more important this year than any year prior”, but is that not the case every year?

This Earth Hour, the theme is “Shaping Our Future”. The theme focuses on small actions, and how we as individuals can make an impact.

Time is really running out, and this year, things are really no different. The United Nations IPCC report recently highlighted aspects of climate change are now permanently irreversible, and temperatures in the Antarctic have recently reached record highs, baffling scientists and environmental leaders.

Somewhat more optimistically, it is fantastic to see organisations such as Tarmac trialling ultra-low carbon products at their HS2 site, and across the board in the UK, the number of sustainability professionals working in industry has increased by 12% in the last year, more than the 7.5% global average.

Working in sustainability, it can be easy to get swept up day-to-day in the job, but it’s important to take a step back, and reflect on why we’re doing this.

At SustainIQ, we talk about “changing the world”. You’re probably thinking, “Wow, that’s a big commitment”.

Yeah. I guess it is. But changing the world does not have to happen overnight. There is no big SustainIQ switch that will be flicked, and tomorrow we’ll wake up in a better future. This is a long process, but a collective one.

What there is however, is our commitment to making a software solution that will resolve the biggest ESG and sustainability reporting challenges.

For myself, and the team here at SustainIQ, the theme “shape our future” aligns so much with where we as a company are working toward.

We will shape a better future. We will change the world. A world that will not be plagued by climate crises and fear. A world that prioritises people. A world that is full of connected business minds working together to be better and build better.

And we’ll do it by working with partners, working with our clients, and supporting anyone struggling with understanding their sustainability position.

So yes, this Earth Hour, things are scary. The world is getting warmer, and global commitments are becoming undone.

But as we as individuals take one collective step at a time in the right direction, maybe in years to come, I’ll have the pleasure of writing an Earth Hour blog that starts off with, “Earth Hour this year is a celebration of how far we’ve come, and how we’ve worked together to change our world, for good.”

Until then, I’ll get back to my day job – the world won’t change itself.

Earth Hour is an annual event that aims to raise awareness about the impact of climate change across the world. Between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Saturday 26^th March 2022, the initiative encourages you to turn off your lights for the hour in solidarity, bringing people together to consider issues affecting our one home, planet Earth.

Learn more about Earth Hour, and how you as an individual can take part here.