Environmental Accountability as the Most Pressing Issue of Our Time
Ecological consciousness has long been a trend amongst granola-crunching hippies and nature lovers, and in recent years has even become fashionable among the younger generation. Nonetheless, although the state of the environment affects us all, it lacks the broad societal awareness required to make change. Many people do not recognize the widespread repercussions of their behavior and, as a result, behave and consume in ways that are detrimental to the environment. This includes the vast use of disposable materials in everyday life, massive amounts of food waste, energy waste, carbon emission, extreme consumerism, and support of polluting industries.
It seems that the environmental issues humanity is facing remain “out of sight – out of mind” for many.
Along with the personal responsibility individuals must take regarding these issues, the core policies that need to change are those of governments and multi-national industries, which tend to be the largest polluters. In research conducted by Frumhoff, Heede and Oreskes, at the Climate Accountability Institute in the US, it’s been found that 20 companies in the world, 12 of which are state-owned, are responsible for 35% of Carbon emissions worldwide! It’s for reasons such as this that the lack of global prioritizing of nature conservation, sustainable living, and renewable energies baffles me.
With that said, a growing number of people are becoming aware of the problematic ecological reality we’re living in, and realizing the need for re-evaluation and change in the Western lifestyle. There is a growing awareness of the global effects of consumerism, pollution, and waste, and the significant role large industries play in these areas. Research has shown an increase in respondents who believe it is essential for companies to implement programs to improve the environment. Companies who have realized this growing potential have utilized the opportunity to promote sustainable industrial solutions, allowing them to be environmentally conscious, while also appealing to the change-seeking consumer.
On a much broader scale, the European Union, in its quest to set a global standard for sustainable and ecological living, has allocated 20% of its budget in the year 2020 to tackle climate change and promote sustainability. It does so by encouraging creativity and excellence in innovation and by budgeting generous funding programs such as the EU Green Deal. The Green Deal call offers funding for breakthrough innovations, in a large variety of industries, at the sum total of 1 Billion Euros.
As a Marketing Executive at Argentum, I was surprised and delighted to discover that much of our firm’s activity is focused on promoting innovative companies in fields of renewable energies, sustainable food production, sustainable building and renovating, nature and wildlife conservation, and humanitarian aid solutions. It just so happens that a significant part of our work is with European companies, and a great deal of proposals are submitted to funding programs headed by the European Commission. Argentum is currently consolidating consortia on four topics under the Green Deal, in the hopes of being awarded funding by the EU and supporting innovation in the following fields: “From Farm To Fork”, “Transparent & Accessible Seas and Oceans: Towards a Digital Twin of the Ocean”, “Energy-efficient Building and Renovating” and “Accelerating the Green Transition and Energy Access Partnership with Africa”.
I feel privileged to work in a company that contributes to the funding of fascinating and creative innovation at the forefront of essential global change.
