Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1181922
18 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 NOVEMBER 2019 COMMERCIAL THIS month's first-ever Malta Sus- tainability Forum is set to be a dy- namic day-long event that gives ac- tive citizens the chance to learn how to implement positive change in their lives, homes and organisations. Fu- turePlanet's Carl Pratt will be one of the international speakers and, here, he shares his take on change and why community is key. Anxiety, anger and a call to action for climate change are strongly felt these days, especially among young people. There are many sides to this issue and much to be understood, but what is overwhelmingly clear is that this can- not be a one-person job. It isn't even an issue to leave in the hands of experts or assume that only huge organisations should implement change. As a single entity or individu- al, you are as important for change as a company with 1000 employees; eve- ryone has a role to play. This is what Carl Pratt, the founder of FuturePlanet, believes – and he is eager to share that message with as many people as possible – including at the Malta Sustainability Forum on 14 November, which is open to the pub- lic. "Everyone has the power to make a difference. I support and empower change-makers in big organisations to create an impact. It is the same at work as it is at home. We all have the poten- tial to make a difference, and inspire and support those around us to do the same." A community of action, FuturePlanet is an organisation with a mission to accelerate our transition to an inclu- sive sustainable future. "The Future- Planet community act on this mission through convening community, sup- porting changemakers, catalysing con- nections and fostering collaboration," Pratt continues. The mantra of his organisation ech- oes the UN 17 Sustainable Develop- ment Goals. A list built on the prin- ciple of 'leaving no one behind', it includes goals such as no poverty, zero hunger and sustainable cities and communities. Community is key for Pratt. "What we need is to be focused, to scale up what will have the highest positive im- pact on climate, biodiversity and the environment. We also need to make sure that we spend our energy on sup- porting each other, on collaboration and being inclusive. We all need to get to a better more sustainable future to- gether." Pratt has worked in over 19 indus- tries, from marketing to music and even mining, with brands like Virgin, Vodafone, Sony and Diageo. He now helps leaders and teams achieve their sustainability goals and he is motivat- ed by positive drivers. "We empower people to feel good about supporting each other and col- laborating to make the world a better place. I aspire to make it fun and re- warding for people to come together and feel a sense of purpose. I believe that climate change is the greatest op- portunity that we have ever had for global collaboration and co-operation and that, when we achieve our goals, we will all feel a resounding sense of happiness and wellbeing." Without a doubt, there has never been a better time to come together for climate change. "We now have 11 years to make the necessary changes to the way we live in order to keep global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius," Pratt states. "This is the number that was within the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and limiting temper- ature rise to be below 1.5d degrees is a goal of the Paris Climate Agreement. "If we go above 1.5 degrees, life on earth will start to become very strained for many people; we face the potential for massive disruption to our food sys- tems, and the basic life and biosystems that make up much of the planet." Thanks to his line of work, Pratt has already seen a shift in the companies he has worked with. "The most impor- tant changes that I have seen are com- panies signing up to science-based tar- gets and organisations like the RE100, as they transition to clean energy." It is about the principle of collabo- ration, unity and community to ac- celerate our transition to an inclu- sive sustainable future that Pratt will be talking about during the first-ever Malta Sustainability Forum, which is organised through the collaboration of APS Bank, PwC, Cool Car Pooling, GasanMamo and Go. Pratt's talk, which is part of the Fo- rum's wider agenda, will contain help- ful advice for people to act on today, create a vision for the future, and write a new story for the way that we can view life. It is a talk that everyone should hear, Pratt states "because all of us have a part to play in creating the future. "In a world where we are all affected by the consequences and can all take action to avoid them, let's start by making very small daily actions that, when joined up, will make a massive difference to the world." Tickets to the Malta Sustainability Forum start at €20, including a net- working lunch. To view the full agenda and register for the Forum, please visit www.maltasustainabilityforum.com Collaborating for change Why working together is the only way to save our planet Carl Pratt, founder of Future Planet "What we need is to be focused, to scale up what will have the highest positive impact on climate, biodiversity and the environment. We also need to make sure that we spend our energy on supporting each other, on collaboration and being inclusive. We all need to get to a better more sustainable future together"