"Be the Change” Might Need a Change

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” is a quote with origins that trace back to 1913. While my origins aren’t nearly as old, I’ve always believed—despite having once viewed our world like Louis Armstrong (as wonderful)—that this quote was more idealistic than realistic.

In 2024, ChatGPT agrees with me: “This quote is flawed because individual efforts alone are insufficient to address systemic issues that require collective action and structural change.”

Why so pessimistic?

I was born in Canada but raised in a Tamil household where, thanks to my parents, my sustainable mandates unintentionally became running water at a trickle since “money didn’t grow on trees,” and clearing my plate because “kids were starving in Africa.”

Lifestyle creep makes it harder to abide by these teachings; my plastic water bottle usage and Deliveroo mileage exemplify this, but I blame Statista for proving my adolescent efforts were futile: indeed, the prevalence of undernourishment in Africa in 2008 was 19.5%, and as of 2022, it worsened to 19.7%.

But like an iceberg is just 10% visible above water, I have intentionally painted only part of the picture. In reality, Africa’s underfed population in 2008 and 2022 represent significant progress from 2000 (24.1%). As a child, if I knew data could be manipulated this easily, avoiding my veggies may have been easier.

Maybe my parents’ mindset did help hungry kids in Africa, but without transparent metrics to measure how my diet impacted starving children globally, I’ll never know. Similarly, I don’t know how we produce more than enough food to feed 1.5 times the global population—but up to 783 million people suffer from chronic hunger.

That’s about 10% of all the people on our planet—but carbon emission reductions seemingly remain the priority.

As a copywriter, I know that research supports my content, much like a comedian’s timing does the perfect punchline, and I accordingly leverage statistics to help elevate my clients’ brands. However, I doubt the sustainability data I’ve come across will elevate your spirit— it definitely disheartened mine.

I was initially optimistic about Atteline’s journey to achieve B-Corp certification (something only seven UAE businesses out of 6,700 globally have attained), but my optimism has since wavered.

You see, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created in 2015, and as of 2023, only 15% of these SDGs were on track, 48% were off track, and 37% were stagnating or regressing. Simply put, the United Nations’ progress on SDGs is lackluster—but who does the onus fall on?

I assume it’s the “key stakeholders,” the ones who have frequent conversations about creating a more sustainable world—yet, somehow, more than 700 million people are still living below the poverty line. From where I’m typing, it feels like global pleas for a more sustainable future are often veiled behind financial incentives rather than genuine humane intentions.

In essence, I feel like B-Corp certification won’t make a dent in the grand scheme of things when our priorities, as citizens of the world, don’t seem to be in order.

Maybe it’s because Amazon proudly highlights sustainable achievements online, but downplays its workplace safety concerns claiming there’s no regulatory metric called “serious injury rate” —and thus, it couldn’t possibly contribute negatively to SDG3: Good Health and Well-Being.

Maybe it’s because we, as humans, consume 400% more clothing than 20 years ago, and fast fashion brands like Shein are at the forefront of this shift– while negatively contributing to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Maybe it’s because I can write this piece from my iPhone while wearing Air Jordans, knowing both Apple and Nike have been under fire for using sweatshops and child labor—and I, myself, am negatively contributing to SDG1: No Poverty.

Perhaps that’s it—we talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.

As a semi-conflicted Sustainability Ambassador at Atteline, how can I convince my colleagues that their sustainable efforts could be impactful if I don’t feel like my concern is sufficient? After all, I’m not a multi-billion conglomerate with the financial means to make a true impact—or like a greenwashing company that refuses accountability for its actions, that’s the excuse I recycle.

Truthfully though, I’m aware action is being taken. For example, Canada has implemented a carbon tax to decrease fossil fuel use and adopt greener forms of energy while locally, initiatives like UAE Net Zero 2050 have been issued by the government to achieve similar targets.

On the surface, these directives seem great. However, if the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” holds any weight, then, the sentiment that our actions today are for tomorrow’s children is not being sufficiently upheld.

Because sustainability is about more than the environment, it’s about the people living in it—or with what’s happening across the water, the people struggling to live in it.

My parents were victims of genocide, fleeing a war-torn Sri Lanka decades ago to prevent me from having to deal with the same hardships, including perpetually living life in fear of death. Being far removed from my culture, I can’t comprehend what their struggle truly entailed, but I can empathise with the current situation of the Palestinians.

Unfortunately, I feel like nothing I do will change their fate despite the collective effort I see from my Instagram network. Why would I think my efforts could make a difference, if “key stakeholders” seem more focused on reducing our carbon footprint, than halting the violence that has taken, and continues to take, the lives of tens of thousands of human beings?

While human footprints seem to be less important than our carbon ones, I’m still working to reduce my use of plastic water bottles. However, this effort is inherently selfish by nature, since it benefits my physical and financial health—but then again, maybe it’ll help reduce the 14 million tons of plastic that find its way into the ocean every year.

As I do this, I’m trying to remember that achieving sustainability is like working out. The first few days of getting back into the gym are a drag, and the first couple of weeks are discouraging when progress is slow, but I’ll try and stick with it since I’m privileged to. Similarly, through my sustainability efforts, I’ll hopefully inspire others to be responsible citizens of the world.

Until then, I maintain my initial sentiment: working to “be the change we want to see the world” is irrelevant, because we (as citizens in society) aren’t enacting our citizenship strongly enough to create the change we need for equity, let alone the preservation of not only our natural resources but of our society as a whole—despite today’s headlines suggesting the opposite.

With that said, I’ll be the change I wish to see for myself—because if I don’t, I’d be just as hypocritical as those “key stakeholders.”

Words By: Dushane Solomon, Account Executive, Copywriter & Sustainability Ambassador at Atteline