Earlier this month, we hosted our first State of Sustainability webinar, bringing together professionals from across the country to explore the current sustainability landscape. Daniel Lawse led the session by introducing the Adaptive Cycle framework, a model for navigating disruption in uncertain times. Attendees were then able to ask questions and dive into facilitated small group discussions.

Our attendees were generous with their time and shared their experiences and helpful insights. After the session, we were thrilled to hear the takeaways were overwhelmingly positive, with one attendee saying, “Loved the break-out rooms, and grateful for a time for more focused sharing and exchange of creative ideas for composting what’s happening geopolitically.” We could have made this a one-hour lecture, but we wanted to encourage participation from our attendees, and they certainly were up to the task! 

Building community and supporting one another are invaluable in times of disruption like we’re experiencing now. We’re grateful for this network of people coming together to exchange ideas and offer mutual support in a time of disruption. When we asked what was most meaningful or helpful from the session, we received many responses along the same lines: 

• “Honestly, it was seeing the number of people in attendance. It reassured me that there are others in this effort.”
• “Breadth of participants and perspectives.”
• “The breakout session and hearing directly from other people.”

For us, these reflections underscored the value of community and shared insight—something we all need during periods of uncertainty.

Where we’re at right now

The dizzying pace of sustainability and climate news has continued! And yet, the fundamentals of sustainability have not changed.

• Climate change is ongoing, and its disruption is consequential to millions of Americans.
  
• The federal government is slamming the brakes on activities that keep our air and waters clean and support a more stable climate, while accelerating activities that would increase pollution in our communities and exacerbate climate change.
  
• Public support remains strong. A majority of Americans support corporate and government action to mitigate climate change and improve national resilience to a changing climate.
  
• The private sector is still engaged. Many companies are quietly advancing sustainability goals, recognizing the long-term business value.

We particularly liked this excerpt from a recent Harvard Business Review article: “The question is not whether sustainability will matter again— but whether your organization is ready when it does.”

At the State of Sustainability webinar, we shared how the adaptive cycle framework can be used as a model for helping organizations adapt in a time of disruption. We’ve found it to be an extremely useful tool for our team and partners! If you want to learn more about the adaptive cycle, we break it down in our blog. Here’s a brief snippet of Daniel explaining this framework during the webinar:

Join us next time!

We’re committed to continuing this important conversation. Keep an eye on our LinkedIn for updates on future webinars and opportunities to connect.