by Mathis Wackernagel, Co-Founder and President<\/p>\n
In the second installment of our ongoing series \u201c<\/em>Three Decades & Counting: Insights from successes and failures in 30+ years of communicating about sustainability,<\/em>\u201d Mathis Wackernagel explores the perceptions and misperceptions of climate action and how we talk about it. Join the conversation below!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n What’s holding back the sustainability transition most is not the fact that decision-makers do not know that we are systematically depleting<\/a> the planet. The problem is that they think it is too costly for them to act. This may be one of the most damaging misconceptions we face.<\/p>\n Therefore, this is the shift Global Footprint Network is looking for: moving public perception from perceiving being caught in a \u201cfree-riding problem<\/em><\/strong>” to realizing that each one of us has “skin in the game<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d \u201cFree-riding\u201d (or \u201ctragedy of the commons\u201d as some call it) implies action benefits humanity, but costs me. \u201cSkin in the game\u201d recognizes that my own fate is tied to taking action; my action is an investment into my own ability to thrive (and is also beneficial for humanity).<\/p>\n If I see \u201cfree-riding\u201d as the dominant force defining sustainability, I conclude that it\u00a0 takes heroic, noble action to address the challenge. If I feel \u201cskin in the game,\u201d then me acting for sustainability becomes an obvious necessity for myself. What is your take?<\/p>\n