The Business Of Sustainability — Through The Eyes (And Lens) Of National Geographic
By Julie King
The global water challenges are vexing and significant and affect individuals directly in their day-to-day lives, and as members of the broader human community. These challenges in turn pose threats to numerous aspects of nature and impact living things that also depend on water for survival.
I recently interviewed National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Mattias Klum to ask how he uses photography and film to tell stories of what is happening 'on the ground', how his work has changed over the years, and what he has witnessed taking place in nature over time — as well as the hope he has for the future. In light of the historic 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), what Klum has to say is especially pertinent.
“What makes me hopeful is business. When they engage whole-heartedly in sustainability in order to enjoy long-term success, then we move past the CSR [corporate social responsibility] dimension and the politicians who are huffing and puffing from behind, trying to keep up. They are so afraid of the issues, to lose votes — instead of using it as a plank and to generate business opportunities, to look long-term and be more aggressive in using innovation in technology and finance in viable ways.”
Recently, Klum co-authored the book Big World, Small Planet: Abundance within Planetary Boundaries with the executive director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Johan Rockström, PhD. Rockström is also professor at Stockholm University and science advisor to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
So impactive was the collaboration between photography and science, Thomas L. Friedman of the New York Times wrote: "If you have time to read one book on this subject, I highly recommend the new “Big World, Small Planet,” by Johan Rockström, director of the Stockholm Resilience Center, and Mattias Klum, whose stunning photographs of ecosystem disruptions reinforce the urgency of the moment."
Klum continued, “We cannot just rely on politicians or religious leaders or NGOs [non-governmental organizations] to solve the problem. We are powerful together. We have the technological solutions to turn the page and grow in more prosperous and ... more sustainable ways. In this book we try to get people to see the future is here, it is now, that we can all be change-makers, regardless of one’s platform in life.”
So what is the driver for Klum now, as he has seen things change over time?
“In some ways it hasn’t changed. Still it has. But it has come more gradually. From the beginning I started photographing things that moved me, pretty things. I started when I was 11 or 12 years old. I became a National Geographic photographer by 23 years old and it was quite intimidating. I was the youngest photographer that National Geographic had.
“[T]hen I gained experience by traveling and juxtaposing this over time: like rainforests — very diverse. And I realized that palm oil is tough and that forests are disappearing. And like what is happening in Borneo from fires. I see this happening and I realized that I needed to tread through Purgatory and a slice of Hell to shoot the beautiful things, which people expect me to do. I see how coral reefs turn into mono-crops. And it feels like you’re being enlightened, like you can never go back. You have to embrace the problem and use the film for inspiring change.
“It is the turning point of beauty — when coral reefs become wastelands. It is horrible. It alters our ecosystem. It changes the predictability of nature... We can look at the diverse ecosystem with its mind-boggling qualities as life sources for humankind. We have learned to read and make use of nature. But now when Mother Nature isn’t being listened to, we’ve changed the dynamics, the predictability.
“When you show what’s at stake — focus on beauty — and show people what is happening, we can channel that worry — and passion for the people’s love of nature... [T]here is momentum and power to generate a mind shift. When people are passionate about something, they spend all that time to excel. When people are engaged in something — and we pair that with worry over what is happening — it generates momentum. The future is here and there are many things in this for people to be passionate about and to engage in... By the end of it, what you want to give to your children becomes extraordinarily powerful.”
Julie King is Managing Director of Galileo Agency. The company represents private sector and civil society organizations in the water, environment, alternative energy, and education sectors — for business development, to commercialize intellectual property rights, and to build value in under-valued assets. Galileo's focus is on working with clients to find ways to monetize social impact initiatives, programs, and projects.