Chapter summary

Chapter 4 considers the changes that will be required if we are to transition to a sustainable society. It explores how we can move away from an economy based on mass consumption and the destruction of the natural environment. It looks at the implications that this will have for commercial organizations and for society in general. Such changes will require a shift in social attitudes and behaviours.

Successful change will require reforms to our current political processes and most importantly, it will require political leaders to offer a positive vision for the future. It will also require changes to the way that we measure economic success so that we place less emphasis on material wealth and more on social well-being. Society faces a choice: either it has to change by evolving a new socio-economic model, or it will have to face the consequences of climate change. However, if we get things right there is an opportunity to address the causes of climate change and in so doing, deliver a better society.

Towards a new socio-economic model

Our current industrialized economic model is unsustainable and requires a radical reappraisal of our social values and the way we live our lives. It will also require changes in the technologies that drive our economies and in the values that underpin our societies. Technical change, such as energy from renewables, will probably be the easy bit. We already have the technical capability to generate our energy from wind and solar and there will soon be effective ways to store energy so that we can cope with peaks and troughs in supply. The cost of renewables is falling dramatically and we are entering a new era of cheap, clean energy.

Changes to our social values may prove far harder. We need to change our patterns of consumption, the way we work and how we live our lives. For example, traditional vehicle ownership is characterized by an individual purchasing a vehicle, keeping it for their sole use and then selling the vehicle. Vehicles are disposable consumer goods that use significant resources from the planet and are costly to own.