After spending a full week at the University of Cambridge looking at sustainability challenges from all angles, whether they are environmental, social or economic in nature, I feel overwhelmed by the need for radical change. If we want to stay well below the 2 degree target for global warming that would keep us from reaching a dangerous tipping point, we need to act now and we need to act drastically. Even the celebrated climate deal forged by 180 nations in Paris in 2015 is only a small stepping stone on this giant journey ahead of us.

Where did we go wrong?

But while the facts are on the table and the information is out there, it seems to me that only a small group of believers and change makers is actively engaging on the topic. In too many societies the little things we can all do to contribute regardless of our organizational roles and spheres of influence are belittled as for “hippies” or “tree huggers”. Where does this disconnect come from?

I personally feel that sustainability has a communications problem. We too often drift into technical language – but when I start talking about the intricacies of soil carbon sequestration calculation methodologies, even interested individuals disengage quickly – and I can’t blame them. We need to find a way to communicate on the important issues that is relatable for a wider audience without being fluffy, that is engaging without being scolding, that shows the urgency of the topic without falling back to the often tried “Oh my God we are all going to die”-messaging.

So what can I do?

I have set myself the challenge to work on a way how I can make sustainability messages more relatable and engage people on the topic in a fun and easy way. My objective is to create cartoons and blog posts that are funny yet engaging. Over the course of the next two years I would like to explore how I can help the sustainability community to reach a wider mainstream audience. How do I best convey the messages important to us? How do I best disseminate them? How do I reach scale? And how do I know my impact?

Stay tuned…