The world is facing multiple crises, and if we’re going to make meaningful progress on them, we’re going to have to make sustainability a priority at every level.

Let’s start with the planet. Yes, climate change is steadily getting worse, with the last eight years being the hottest on record. In May the World Meteorological Organization warned that by 2027 the planet will likely breach the 1.5 degree climate threshold, considered by experts to be a critical tipping point.

Then there’s the fragility of our systems and institutions. The pandemic exposed widening health inequalities and glaring inadequacies in our public health system. In the world of work, employees — and their managers — remain in the grip of an epidemic of stress and burnout.

What do these crises have in common? On their current trajectories, they’re all unsustainable. To shine a light on human sustainability and how we can use it to maximize the long-term, collective well-being of individuals, organizations, climate and society we’re excited to announce that Jen will be serving as the editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s new Human Sustainability Hub.

The connection between human sustainability and the sustainability of the planet is very real. As the science shows, the planet works according to certain laws, and so do humans. When we’re depleted, burned out and under chronic stress, we’re in fight-or-flight mode and focused on short-term survival. That’s not how we maximize our potential for long-term, optimal decision-making. When we’re in fight-or-flight mode we’re not able to tap into our capacity for trust and empathy, both of which are critical elements in working together and taking collective action. As Jen says in her new TEDx Talk, “If you’re burned out, your perspective of what good looks like is out of focus.” And right now we need the most clear-eyed perspective available to us.

One of those challenges is continuing to redefine how we work. During the pandemic, the issues of stress, burnout and employee well-being moved to the center of our conversation at work. This had been slowly happening for years, but the pandemic accelerated it. Suddenly, we could see in stark relief just how unsustainable our burnout-driven way of living and working is.

Now we have the opportunity to create a way of living and working built on human sustainability. And more and more companies are recognizing the value of broadening how they think about sustainability. According to a recent Deloitte Well-being at Work survey, 89% of executives say their company is progressing on human sustainability in some way. This is encouraging, but there’s a big caveat: the same survey showed that only 41% of employees agree with those executives. Even more alarming was Gallup’s recent State of the Workplace 2023 report, which found that only 23% of employees globally are engaged in their work, with 59% not engaged and 18% actively disengaged. So clearly there’s more work to be done.

The same is true in healthcare, where 75% of all healthcare spending in the U.S. is for the treatment of chronic conditions. A healthcare system based on human sustainability would focus upstream on the root causes of chronic diseases, and help people adopt healthier daily behaviors — in sleep, food, movement, stress management and connection — that could prevent or better manage chronic conditions.

Then, there is the rapid development of generative AI. Ultimately AI, like all technology, is a tool. We as humans can and must decide how we’re going to use it, and to what end. AI can advance the cause of human sustainability by putting people at the center, or it can dilute and diminish the uniquely human qualities of empathy, creativity and wisdom — it’s up to us.

To begin, we need to connect the dots. Personal sustainability is connected to sustainability at every level — our lives, in our organizations, our planet. We all have a role to play. And that’s what the Human Sustainability Hub will be about — connecting those dots and showing tangible ways in which we can create a more sustainable world, starting with ourselves.

Author(s)

  • Jen Fisher

    𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 + 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 | 𝖡𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗌𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖠𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 | 𝖳𝖤𝖣𝗑 𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗋 | 𝖧𝗈𝗌𝗍 #𝖶𝗈𝗋𝗄𝖶𝖾𝗅l | 𝖳𝗁𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖤𝖽𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋

    Jen Fisher is a leading voice on the intersection of work, well-being, and purpose. Her mission is to help leaders move from the legacy mindset that well-being is solely the responsibility of the individual to the forward-thinking idea of human sustainability, which supports the long-term, collective well-being of individuals, organizations, climate, and society.  

    She’s the co-author of the bestselling, award-winning book, Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines, the Human Sustainability Editor-at-Large for Thrive Global, and the host of the WorkWell podcast series.

    As the first chief well-being officer of a professional services organization, Jen built and led the creation and execution of a pioneering holistic and inclusive well-being strategy that has received recognition from leading business media brands and associations.

    Jen is a frequent writer on issues impacting the workplace today, including the importance of mental health and social connection to workforce resilience, happiness, and productivity. Her work has been featured in CNBC, CNN, Fast Company, Fortune, Inc, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Harvard Business Review, among others.

    She’s a sought-after speaker and has been featured at events including TEDx, World Happiness Summit, Out & Equal Workplace Summit, Acumen Global Gathering, WorkHuman, The Atlantic Pursuit of Happiness event, and more. She’s also lectured at top universities across the country, including Harvard, Wake Forest, Duke, and George Mason.

    Jen is passionate about sharing her breast cancer and burnout recovery journeys to help others. She’s also a healthy lifestyle enthusiast, self-care champion, exercise fanatic, sleep advocate, and book nerd! Jen lives in Miami with her husband, Albert, and dog, Fiona.

    You can find her on LinkedIn or on Twitter and Instagram @JenFish23. You can also receive her personal insights and reflections by subscribing to her newsletter, "Thoughts on Being Well" @jenfisher.substack.com.

  • Arianna Huffington

    Founder & CEO of Thrive Global

    Arianna Huffington is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, including Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In 2016, she launched Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company with the mission of improving productivity and health outcomes.

    She has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.

    Her last two books, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder and The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night At A Time, both became instant international bestsellers.