More than just a corporate buzzword, sustainability is an essential way of life

No doubt about it, humankind’s impact on this planet we call home is shocking.

Since the rise of civilisation, we have managed to wipe out 83% of wild mammals, 80% of marine mammals, 50% of plants, and 15% of the world’s fish (see this article in the Guardian for all the details).

If that doesn’t sound terrible enough, here’s some frightening perspective:

The earth is estimated to be around 46 billion years old. If you scale that to 46 years, this means that humans have been around for four hours. The industrial revolution began one minute ago. In that time, we have destroyed more than half of the world’s forests.

As a species, we continue to consume, pollute, and waste like there’s no tomorrow. And our days certainly will be numbered if we don’t act now and make sustainability a way of life.

Here are 10 more eye-opening facts that show the damage we humans are having on our environment, and why sustainability is more important than ever.

1. 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted worldwide every year. Just one-quarter of this could feed the 795 million undernourished people around the world who suffer from hunger.
2. According to the Guardian newspaper, an estimated 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s (that’s equivalent to the weight of more than 800,000 Eiffel Towers). Only 9% of this plastic has been recycled.
3. 73% of beach litter worldwide is plastic.
4. Over 75% of waste is recyclable, but only about 30% of it is recycled.
5. The UNHCR has warned that climate change could cause the displacement of 250m people across the world by 2050.
6. Earth Overshoot Day is the date on which humanity’s resource consumption for the year exceeds the Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources that year. In 2000 the day took place in October. In 2016 it was in August. And it’s getting earlier each year.
7. Current statistics indicate that a mere 1% of the water on earth is freshwater. Given the change in climate, even that 1% is under threat, and demand could exceed supply by 40% by the year 2030.
8. 92% of the world’s population lives in places where air pollution exceeds safe limits, according to research from the World Health Organization (WHO).
9. People who live in high-density air pollution areas have 20% higher risk of dying from lung cancer than people living in less polluted areas.
10. There are more than 500 million cars in the world and by 2030 the number will rise to 1 billion. This means pollution levels will more than double.

The list above makes for scary reading. And something clearly needs to be done.

The good news is, as a fast-growing international company, Dusit is well positioned to help do its part by adopting sustainable practices and taking every step necessary to ensure our operations always have a positive local impact – no matter where we are in the world.

Throughout the year, we will be featuring the various sustainability initiatives and programmes being carried out by Dusit Hotels & Resorts, Dusit Hospitality Education, and Corporate HQ, right here on The Lobby.

If you’d like to have your important work featured – or have any ideas about how Dusit can be more sustainable – please email thelobby@dusit.com.

Here’s to a brighter, greener future for us all!