Why we need to stop talking about sustainability

The creative industries are in a strange, sobering moment. On paper, we’ve never talked more about sustainability - it’s in ads, stores, packaging, websites. But in practice? We’ve barely moved. And in some ways, we’ve gone backwards.

According to the Global Footprint Network, humanity is currently using natural resources about 1.7 times faster than the Earth can regenerate in a year (and in the hyper-consumerist USA, it's five). There’s now more man-made stuff than wildlife, and enough clothing to dress the next six generations. Let that sink in for a moment…

The term has become so fuzzy and overloaded that it is now more likely to confuse than catalyse.

Meanwhile, climate and ecological breakdown accelerate. Inequality is rising. Public trust is falling. And big companies still operate like it’s 1990. Yet industries that shape what people want, value and believe - marketing, creative, media - continue to reinforce the status quo, despite growing pressure to do better.

The identity crisis echoing through our industry points to something deeper: critical gaps in leadership, governance, and culture. These systemic failures are stalling progress. And maybe part of the problem is the word itself: sustainability.

Not the intent - but the way we experience, understand and communicate it. The term has become so fuzzy and overloaded that it is now more likely to confuse than catalyse. So maybe the most helpful thing we can do – if we’re serious about shaping a way forward - is to stop talking about sustainability as we know it. Here’s why:

Above: An ironic message on the Climate Clock in NYC's Union Square,an installation that counts down the time left to act on climate change in order to prevent a global warming catastrophy. (Photo: Ben Wolf)

It’s become tired, confusing and joyless

Let’s be honest: most people in this industry dread the word sustainability. Not because they don’t care - but because the experience of it is often tedious, frustrating and siloed.

Ask ten different professionals how their agency or production team “do sustainability” and you’ll get ten different answers.. And a few eye-rolls. There are too many tools and overlapping schemes - and very little clarity or cohesion. Carbon calculators are a good example of this, with each (agency, client, production) to their own jam. 

Real sustainability is indeed everything, everywhere, all at once.

The result? Fragmented efforts, unclear outcomes, and minimal impact. People want to do the right thing, but the process feels more like an operational and emotional burden than progress.

It’s still dangerously siloed and misunderstood

For many, ‘sustainability’ still means recycling, electric cars or solar panels. Far from the holistic approach required, it’s been reduced to ‘green stuff’ handled by ops or compliance, rather than treated as a core strategic concern.

We’re trying to solve interconnected problems with disconnected strategies. 

But real sustainability is far broader. It’s indeed everything, everywhere, all at once. Imagine the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a wedding cake: a thriving economy sits on a healthy society, all resting on a healthy natural world. When the bottom layer crumbles, the rest collapses.

So yes – fair pay, employee wellbeing, mental health, inclusion, ethical leadership, transparent governance, access to education and planetary boundaries - all of that is sustainability. And as the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] made clear: There can be no ecological transition without social justice. That’s the foundation of the ‘just transition’.  Until we adopt this systemic view, we will remain stuck in surface-level action. No wonder we’re overwhelmed - we’re trying to solve interconnected problems with disconnected strategies.

Above: Economies depend on the health of the societies and environment supporting them. (Infographic courtesy of The Stockholm Resilience Centre)

It has a marketing problem

The irony! Sustainability has a marketing problem - and we’re the marketers. Too often, it’s treated as an added cost, a compliance burden, or a barrier to creativity. But that’s only because we’ve positioned this as optional - a 'nice to have' or good PR, rather than business-critical. That framing is not just outdated; it’s dangerous.

We don’t need more green campaigns or charity jobs. What we need is a shift in how things work: how companies are run, how ideas are made, where money flows, and how we define success. To change the ‘how’, we need to revisit the ‘why’. Why do we exist as an industry? Two things keeps coming back: creativity, and community. That’s what drew most of us here in the first place.

Gen Z is leading the shift, demanding transparency, climate justice, mental health support, and a bigger say in shaping the future. 

When we stop treating sustainability as a ‘topic’ and start embedding it into everything - governance, operations, creative briefs, strategies, media buying, and brand culture - that’s where the real work lies. And that’s where the real opportunity begins.

A more human, powerful frame

What really matters to people? During the pandemic, changemaker network Purpose Disruptors asked a broad cross-section of UK society this question - including those less engaged with climate action. The answers, featured in a documentary presented at the UN COP26 in Glasgow, were clear: Connection - to self, others, and nature. This collective wisdom became the foundation of The Good Life 2030 project – led by Purpose Disruptors in collaboration with the Insight Climate Collective, Race to Zero, Stories for Life and over 200 industry professionals – which reframes sustainability around meaning, belonging and care.

Far from a niche insight, this is becoming a mainstream demand. According to Earth4All (a global project led by scientists, economists and policy experts) 70 per cent of G20 citizens believe economies should prioritise the health and wellbeing of people and nature over profit.

And Gen Z – nearly half the global population under 30 now –are leading the shift, demanding transparency, climate justice, mental health support, and a bigger say in shaping the future (Deloitte, 2024). They are changing the rules around work, culture and leadership right now. THIS is the pulse of where the world is heading.

Above: Imagery from Good Life 2023, a project for the ad industry to transform both itself and society in service of halving carbon emissions by 2030, through the redefinition of what a ‘good life’ can be.

The stories need to change

As the planetary crisis accelerates, we’re seeing ‘business as usual’ collapsing in real time: from mass redundancies to climate disruption, soaring inequality, the mental health crisis and civil unrest. A quarter of the UK population, and a third globally now live in poverty. This isn’t theoretical anymore - it’s personal for billions.

We need to align our narrative with what people truly want: wellbeing, opportunity, community, legacy and care.

But change is happening. And we’ll explore more of it in upcoming chapters of this series.

The University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) has redefined sustainability as 'Long-Term Wellbeing for All People and Planet', shifting us from short-term profit to a regenerative, inclusive economy fit for the 21st century.

Standards like the PAS 808 and the upcoming ISO 37011 provide blueprints to put purpose into practice. And the B Corp framework continues to raise the bar on verified impact, accountability and transparency.  But ultimately, systems change needs a story change. We know stories shape reality. If we want to unlock real momentum and ride this fast-moving cultural shift, we need to align our narrative with what people truly want: wellbeing, opportunity, community, legacy and care.

Coca-Cola is often celebrated for sustainability campaigns, cultural relevance or water stewardship. But is it good for human health? No. Planet health? No.

One simple question which helped me reframe everything is this: ‘Does this campaign, product or service support long-term wellbeing for all people and planet?’ That lens reveals a lot. Take Coca-Cola – often celebrated for sustainability campaigns, cultural relevance or water stewardship. But is it good for human health? No. Planet health? As the world’s top plastic polluter, again, no.

Our industry isn’t on its knees for a lack of talent, but because we’ve lost coherence, courage, and clarity of purpose. But we can rebuild. Not through more pledges or token panels, but through bold, cohesive action. By remembering why we’re here. And by aligning our work with the future we actually want.

Because if we tell the truth, join the dots and act with purpose - we’ll rediscover our power. 

And maybe, at long last, real progress will follow.