Sustainability: Have we defined it yet?

With many different definitions of sustainability, in his editor's letter Ian Bolland asks if there are any true leaders on the subject. 

It’s the buzzword that’s across every industry at the moment, and it’s going to be a factor both in business and policy areas alike going forward – as fires rage through Europe and North America (and have done in Australia), droughts take place in Africa and our climate gets increasingly volatile, it always makes for excellent public relations when a company trumpets their own sustainability practices as the situation across the world becomes all the more severe.

The words and phrases I associate with sustainability include; reusable, low pollution, recycle, efficient. But for the world to become sustainable there needs to be leadership.

There is certainly an appetite for a more sustainable medical technology sector. At Med-Tech Innovation Expo, I was delighted that we could host two incredibly insightful sessions on the subject – both with net zero in the title: Sustainability Strategies in Product Design and How to Achieve Net Zero Healthcare. But we know there is much more to talk about on the subject than we could’ve fit into our two-day conference programme.

For me there has been a struggle to define sustainability, and this struggle leaves so much wriggle room that probably allows for green washing across the piste. Additionally, you can be charged by companies that little bit extra to offset your carbon footprint when you fly or on your oil and gas bill. But what does that do? Plant a tree? While planting more trees is welcome It’s not the systemic behavioural change that is required.

Inevitably it’s going to be a factor at the next general election when that comes around – Labour have set out a clean energy policy, there are various Net Zero commitments currently in place from the incumbent government but there’s strain of thought from the right and far right for a rethink on such policies, and when a policy related to air quality is deemed to be a reason for success in the byelection, there is the temptation for it to be a lever to cling onto power. Until there is action from whoever is in office/takes office, it will only sound like lip service.

So, what does sustainability look like in the medical device sector? Clean manufacturing practices, minimal emissions from transportation, technology that allows for minimal waste, reusable or recyclable practices where possible and if not the case then low-emission sterilisation? These are all ideas that I have seen, and companies putting together ideas of how they can do their bit are welcome. Indeed there have been some excellent examples of sustainability practices in articles published in this magazine and on our website.

But there needs to be more, it feels like there’s a leadership void. It needs to come from somewhere. The question is – who is going to provide it?