Hold on Tight: A Review with Suggestions to Address Threats to Sustainability

Sustainability principles and practices are facing unprecedented opposition from some of the world’s most economically and politically powerful nations. Public opinion polls in the United States and Europe show that age significantly affects responses to sustainability practices. Younger populations tend to be more supportive of efforts to manage climate change and other sustainability practices than their older counterparts. Variation in responses to actual and proposed sustainability policies and practices is not adequately explained by political affiliation. While some businesses are actively dismantling sustainability practices, others are moving forward with those that are profitable for their bottom line. Showing the benefits to businesses may help weaken opposition to sustainability policies and practices at the government level. A global-to-local framework describes demonstration projects that build support for sustainability. The local focus is the most practical, as it engages local political entities and yields local benefits that bolster the case for supporting sustainable practices. Such efforts may help counter higher-level challenges.