The following is a more polished version of the opening keynote speech I delivered (speaking from notes) in Gdansk, Poland, on 16 June 2025, at an international conference on sustainable development hosted by WEB Merito Universities (see Endnotes for more info and link). I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to present this speech, which … Continue reading Keynote Speech: “Future Thinking for Sustainable Development”
Sustainability
The science and philosophy of maintaining human and natural systems
Third-Age Thoughts
Initial reflections after a long professional career in public service for sustainability On January 1, 2025, I woke up to the reality that I was actually and truly retired. I have no professional position, no company or business to maintain, no formal work responsibilities, at all. I am living on my income from a modest … Continue reading Third-Age Thoughts
Voilà! The French edition has arrived
http://ladurabilite.wordpress.com/ Do you speak French? Or maybe you want to practice your French, by reading a 49-page, simple, clear, and entertaining little book about sustainability? La durabilité est l'affaire de tous is for you. Your colleagues. Your French class. Basically, tout le monde. As I wrote in my previous post, Sustainability is for Everyone was … Continue reading Voilà! The French edition has arrived
Do you Speak Swedish? This book is for you (and it’s free)
https://hallbarhetforalla.wordpress.com/ Back in 2013, I wrote a little book whose purpose was to inspire my colleagues in sustainability. The book, complete with little stick-figure illustrations that I drew myself, was a surprise hit (in relative terms). It sold many thousands of copies, often in large group sales to whole companies or university programs. Sustainability is … Continue reading Do you Speak Swedish? This book is for you (and it’s free)
Words&Music 4: Reflections on an Old Manifesto
Dear Friends, Exactly 20 years ago (29 December 1999) I put pen to paper at a friend’s house in East London and began to write a personal manifesto for the new millennium. The resulting document, ”Sustainability is Dead — Long Live Sustainability”, had a short, modestly viral life. It was emailed around the Internet, released … Continue reading Words&Music 4: Reflections on an Old Manifesto
Relaunching “Words&Music” – my personal newsletter
Dear reader, This post invites you to sign up for my newsletter, Words&Music. Sign up here: http://eepurl.com/duzZz9 Now here's the background: In May 2018, I assumed a new professional position, working as Director of the Department of Partnership & Innovation at Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Becoming a public official in Sweden caused … Continue reading Relaunching “Words&Music” – my personal newsletter
Letter to Future Generations (2015)
This was originally published in 2015 on my personal Facebook page just before I launched my North Star column on GreenBiz. If anything, the situation I attempted to describe three years ago in this popular-audience piece (written while on a trans-Atlantic flight) has continued to intensify, so I am republishing it again now. Dear Future … Continue reading Letter to Future Generations (2015)
Save a Woodpecker, Save the Planet, Save Your Soul
I wrote this essay 13 years ago. One change: my daughters are a bit older now. The woodpeckers, however, have not changed a bit. First published 26 September 2005 on Worldchanging.com. Reprinted in Because We Believe in the Future: Collected Essays on Sustainability 1989-2009, by Alan AtKisson. Note: On Amazon.com, this book received a one-star … Continue reading Save a Woodpecker, Save the Planet, Save Your Soul
The Sustainability Change Agent’s Job Description
This year, 2018, marks a decade since I first published The Sustainability Transformation* — the 2nd book in my planned 3-volume "Optimist Trilogy." I'm now working on volume 3. But the "job description" from vol. 2 that appears on the first page of the first chapter is still highly relevant. Enjoy ... and spread. JOB … Continue reading The Sustainability Change Agent’s Job Description
How Oslo launched a new design revolution
Once in a while, a conference actually changes the world. In this case, I refer to a series of conferences in Oslo, sponsored by Norway’s National Center for Design and Architecture (known as DOGA). In 2015, a couple of sustainability visionaries there, Jannicke Hølen and Knut Bang, had the brilliant idea to focus on the … Continue reading How Oslo launched a new design revolution
Alan AtKisson 