Think review part 2 - rhetoric to reality?

My mantra for the Think event for this year was rhetoric to reality. It was about showing projects or practices that actually worked. I think we delivered this up to a point. There were some sessions I chaired or attended that either offered proof of the right directions that countries, regions, companies or individual schemes were taking. I'm afraid there were others where you felt the dreaded word greenwash was hovering not too far above. This is where I accept some of the analysis of the event from fellow bloggers Mel and Martin.

I think this probably taps into where the movement is more broadly. Still somewhat confused (when the conference chair Greg Clark asked the crowd in the final session whether they saw a clear path to zero carbon they overwhelming voted no), enthusiastic but somewhat buffeted by market conditions. You can passionately argue that sustainability needs to be driven forward whether times or busy or in a downturn but try convincing all the foot soldiers out there grappling with budgets and order books of that fact.

Where I think Martin is on to something in his post is moving beyond the word sustainability. Is this holding us back. Are words such as resilience or resources more accurate and less fuzzy or buzzy than sustainability. Is the latter term becoming meaningless? I think I'll start a strand on this on our Sustainability (oh dear, it's called that) Forum.