Happy (belated) Earth Day

As you probably know, yesterday, April 22, was Earth Day.  We’ve all seen the many advertisements and announcements from industry, media, and individuals about the value of having an Earth Day – one day to stop and focus on our planet.  The first Earth Day was held in 1970 and was established in the United States, later sanctioned by the UN and today recognized by countries around the world.  I find it ironic that Earth Day was conceived in the US, yet the US is lagging in so many sustainable ways. 

This point comes to mind as I have been doing my media tech interviews.  One thing became evident from the outset.  The Europeans are so far ahead of the US in nearly all areas of sustainability.  The European companies are highly regulated by the EU and so sustainability is integral in their strategies.  As a new product is developed, sustainability concerns are considered from the outset. 

There may be several reasons for this, but I maintain it has a lot to do with government regulations that require companies doing business in Europe (and here, I include the UK, with apologies) to report on their sustainability plans alongside their financial filings.  In the US, this sort of regulation is still being fought within Congress. 

Of course, it also has to do with practical economics.  Sources of energy are much more prevalent in the US than in Europe, and so the approach to its use is less constrained.  In Europe, shifts in energy sources have left many countries in the hands of others and that can be challenging, even before there was war in Ukraine. 

In the US, sustainability needs to become an integral part of doing business.  That means knowing your carbon emissions, about as well as you know your credit score.  Let’s hope.

Remember to sign up to receive my report to be published by end of May. Sign up here: Kibo121 Sustainability Report