The solutions to achieve the ambitious goal of one-planet living are already here. Changing mindsets so that these solutions are effectively embraced and applied is the main challenge. Some pioneers are leading the way and actively helping to #MoveTheDate. We, at Global Footprint Network, were proud to gather a handful of them in a panel for an event we organized in partnership with the Dutch Consulate during the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.
Here are some highlights.
Rosalía Arteaga ― Former President and Vice President of Ecuador, Ex-Secretary of OTCA, President of FIDAL (a foundation dedicated to improving education in Latin America)
Every one of us has a responsibility. We cannot be wealthy if our environment, if all communities around us are not wealthy. AND global challenges need to be addressed from the local perspective.
Kevin Self ― Chief Strategy Officer, North America, Schneider Electric
Our motto at Schneider Electric: getting out of Overshoot makes for good business and good business sense. For that message to be heard, all of us in the business world need to bring our voices together – we need to play in the same orchestra in order to have a powerful impact.
Steve Howard ― Former Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA; Founder, The Climate Group; Chair, We Mean Business Coalition
We’re living through a super exciting time, with great human potential, but the clock is ticking. You can [almost] always make a business case for building/doing the right thing, so why wouldn’t you? Deeply regenerative business that can #MoveTheDate will be leading the charge. Legacy businesses that cannot change their business model with be left behind.
Markus Laubscher ― Director, Global Sustainability and Circular Economy Team, Philips
Today’s most pressing need is to switch to sustainable development. Health and climate are very much linked and Philips is proud to be part of that transformation. In fact, the Ecological Footprint gives us a framework to shape our narrative about who we are as a company.
Sten de Wit ― Co-founder, SolaRoad
The Ecological Footprint is a powerful and important metric to show very transparently what the impact is of the activities we do, but also the steps we need to take for climate and the planet we’re living on. Using the Ecological Footprint we can easily communicate and also steer our policies towards better conservation of our planet.
Robert Hoevers ― Lightyear
The most important thing we can do is show the world that a solar-powered car that can be on the road for 1 million kilometers… is possible! Lightyear’s native solar powered car will help #MoveTheDate.