Imran works with research at a university. He has a natural science educational background. Imran has worked as a sustainability professional for fifteen years and is in his early forties.
“The most important is that we have systemic change on an economic and societal level”
Imran has followed an academic path through his whole career. Today he is leading a research group at a university. They are developing scenarios of how different sectors can evolve with renewable energy, a circular economy, and changed lifestyles. Does he think his work has a sustainability impact? “Yes,” he answers. “That is why I am doing this”. I ask him if that impact is tangible, if he can see that his research is driving change. “We do not provide solutions”, Imran answers. “We show what the consequences are of doing this and that. We calculate what is possible so to say”. Imran sees his and other researchers work as a common force. “When the politicians see that the researchers agree it is a powerful argument for action. I see that the research has led to new ways of thinking and changes in priorities.” Imran does not know if his work has become more impactful over the years, but he certainly sees that it has become more visible. The models he and his team are working with have gained wide interest, also from politicians outside Europe.
The university is a good place for Imran to be. He feels like he has a platform where he can work with what he thinks is important. And that he can share his research publicly, something that he could not have done as an employee in a consultancy firm. He does, however, see consultancy firms useful for his work. “I do not have the capacity to drive quality research, educate students, and at the same time make sure the research is communicated to the politicians. I leave the dissemination process to the consultancy firms that we cooperate with”. Imran says that it would be easier for his group, and university researchers in general, to work with dissemination and societal knowledge sharing if they were not so restricted by the painful lack of permanent positions. “Not having a permanent position forces the researchers to be more egoistic. They have to focus on themselves and do not have capacity to consider societal value”, Imran sighs.
Imran sees the political role as the one where the sustainability impact potential is largest. He believes we have loads of technical and economic possibilities, now we need action. He also highlights the value of educating students. “Especially engineers. They can be so focused on single materials and technologies. To teach them life cycle and systems thinking is not easy”
I ask Imran whether he thinks it is possible to work with systems change as a sustainability professional in industry. “It is possible if the company understands that two steps are needed. First, they have to use the environmental and social life cycle perspective to understand their role and responsibility in global supply chains, and use that knowledge to take action. The second step is the business model – that is what really matters.” Imran believes it is frustrating for a sustainability professional to work in a company lacking “business-model-culture”. He thinks that not only politicians but also business has a responsibility for pushing and developing alternative business models but is not sure that his wish is realistic. “Many companies have a too simplistic and short-term view.”
Imran believes that sustainability roles in all sectors are important, and that sustainability professionals should search for jobs that fit them personally. But he also thinks some operations are less needed that others. “It is not efficient to work for those who only want you to promote their products and have no interest in change.”
I ask Imran whether he is hopeful about the future. “I am,” he replies. “We have the technical solutions. We have evidence of cultures that thrive with less resources. We can if we want to, and surveys in many countries show that the majority wants to do more.” But there is one prerequisite that is key to Imran. “The most important is that we have systemic change on an economic and societal level. It is not enough to get single persons to change their lifestyles. It creates too much inequality. As the world is today, only wealthy people can afford electric cars.”
Imran thinks it is important that sustainability professionals consider their choices but that it is the wrong approach to try to “solve systemic problems in your own life.” “The system tells us that meat is cheap and flying a lot is ok. We cannot take on the responsibility of all that has gone wrong. It makes us depressed and experience hopelessness. It is important that we make peace with the choices we make.”
Meaningful sustainability jobs 