The temptation will be, once the global coronavirus crisis finally comes to an end, to return to business as normal… and this is certainly not an unreasonable desire, with some aspects such as seeing friends and family, enjoying nature and culture and so on, a very welcome change.
But if we are to enjoy this kind of normality in the years ahead after the pandemic is over, it is essential that we do not fall back into old behaviours, given that we will need to contend with environmental and climate breakdown in the very near future.
This is the assertion of senior research fellow with Common Wealth Adrienne Buller, writing for New Statesman, who explained that the current crisis has highlighted the “inequalities and insecurities” that exist between people who are all in it together and state governments, investors and major corporations, which are also all in it together… but separately to those the wider general public.
She stressed the fact that the climate emergency is already here and it is likely to be just as abrupt as the pandemic has been, with numerous acute crises for the world to face, ranging from extreme drought, crop failure, wildfires and disease outbreaks, all of which will become more frequent and more serious as climate breakdown advances.
“The task is therefore to use this moment of unprecedented uncertainty and change to build a new economic consensus founded on justice, care and sustainability.
“We cannot afford to keep the global economy on life support only to resuscitate it, unchanged, once the public health emergency subsides,” Ms Buller observed.
She continued, issuing a call for industries like aviation and fossil fuels to be nationalised by using current share prices and the low cost of government borrowing to manage the transition to a low carbon future.
Green infrastructure should also be a priority for post-crisis stimulus, as should low carbon types of work like health and social care, which the crisis has revealed as being both undervalued and absolutely vital.
Austerity has also been revealed as an “ideological choice, rather than a necessity” and, as such, it’s essential that these mistakes are not repeated, with social safety nets valued and strengthened.
Businesses can start enacting positive change and prioritising the environment by changing their water stewardship strategies to put safeguarding water resources at the very heart of their operations.
You should view stewardship as a way of making continual improvements where your water usage is concerned, while reducing the water-related impact of your business activities.
Responsible stewardship also pertains to your commitment to managing shared water resources sustainably by collaborating with governments, local communities, non-government organisations and other businesses.
