The Alliance and Sustainability
The Alliance for Sustainability was created nearly forty years ago by visionaries from around the world with a mission to co-create sustainability on a personal, organizational, and planetary level. We’ve always defined sustainability as being ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just and humane, embodying our highest values in terms of how we treat people, animals and the planet.
As an early pioneer of the concept of sustainability, we have always rejected the notion that it means “sustaining” the existing, destructive systems that are in place. Instead, it is a life-affirming path requiring restoration, regeneration and resilience. We see it as holistically embracing and integrating all aspects of life while providing a clear yet ever-evolving North Star and vision that has never been fully realized.
We believe sustainability is a broad, welcoming umbrella that incorporates a range of powerful, cutting-edge approaches, including regeneration, restoration, resilience, circular economy, Cradle to Cradle, UN Sustainable Development Goals, Permaculture, Biomimicry, Net Zero, organic, Natural Step and so many more. Consequently, we fully support these initiatives and seek to have them become widely adopted.
At the same time, we recognize that in many cases the term has been mis-appropriated, co-opted and greenwashed by various individuals and institutions. This has led to confusion and derision among some. As a long-time practitioner of holistic sustainability, we are committed to reclaiming the term and calling out those who would misuse it while celebrating those who authentically live it.
We need to change from stories of duality, domination, scarcity, greed, isolation, competition and conflict to stories of diverse unity, relationship, interdependence, collaboration, harmony, sufficiency, prosperity and sustainability that work for everyone
Thomas Berry, Dream of the Earth