SUSTAINABILITY IS NO LONGER OPTIONAL

What's needed are steps taken where end results can actually be measured

- BY ALEX MCMULLAN

Record-breaking heatwaves, debates over EVs, and global summits like COP29 (however underwhelming), make one thing clear: the Sustainability conversation is no longer just a corporate checkbox.

It’s a societal mandate, regardless of changing political winds.

In 2025, much of the world will see unprecedented pressure to reconcile technological progress with environmental sustainability and no industry, sector, or generation will be exempt from accountability.

Clean energy isn’t perfect - but it’s a start

Renewable energy is vital to curbing emissions, but even the ‘cleanest’ solutions have flaws. Nuclear power offers low-carbon energy, yet it creates radioactive waste and carries a significant embedded carbon footprint in its infrastructure. Wind energy is renewable but leaves behind turbine blades that can’t be recycled and often end up in landfills.

While these imperfections fuel debates, they also highlight an important lesson: don’t let the pursuit of perfection block meaningful progress.

What COP29’s ‘washout’ teaches us