Sustainability & The New Year Ahead, by Lilian Liu
SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY EXPERT
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Briefly tell us about your journey toward living a more sustainably minded life and when it became an important part of it.
Sustainability to me is about buying better and less is more. When I was younger, I used to love shopping and I loved clothes. At some point in my life I got really tired of shopping malls and of all the stuff. Through my work with the fashion industry I have also realized how much impact the industry has on the environment and how people in the supply chain aren’t getting the fair treatment they deserve. I didn’t want to be part of a broken industry. I told myself that less is more and if I welcome new pieces into my wardrobe, it will be high-quality pieces that I will love for a long time.
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Please suggest 2-3 intentions or practices that we can set for the year ahead and easily implement into our everyday routine to leave a lower footprint on the planet.
– If you haven’t already, switch your home to renewable energy. This is one of the absolute biggest impacts you can have in your everyday life. Especially now that many of us work remotely!
– Explore some new vegetarian recipes and try some new vegetables that you haven’t had before! Meat is a big carbon emitter so our food choices make a difference.
– Healthy minds and bodies will help us feel good and we will crave unnecessary stuff less. Go for walks, exercise and get plenty of sleep in 2021!
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...and some sources to keep up with climate and impact news and information.
Online: Grist & Greenbiz. Podcasts: How 2 Save A Planet and Energy Gang!
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How do you shop more mindfully or purposefully?
Ideally I buy second hand or from brands whose values align with mine. And I think twice or thrice about if it’s something I need. If I still think of the item a week later, I know it might be worth getting.
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What hopes – that could better aid our Earth and Climate – do you have for the year ahead?
There has been a lot of talk and commitments made from both business leaders and politicians, I hope we will see some real action in the year ahead. It’s time for some doing! I would love to see more governments follow with pledges to go carbon neutral - when this happens, companies have to follow.
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We'd love to hear your thoughts on AERA and our measurability and impact practices.
I love that AERA is a b-corp and has a mission to create lasting high quality pieces with a small planetary footprint. AERA’s philosophy is based on being net positive and to “leave the world better than we found it”, whether it is in regards to carbon emissions or plastics. The brand also knows that sustainability is a journey and that we can always do better and continue to improve.