Sustainability in Europe

I arrived in Brussels International airport for a recent business meeting to be greeted by a slew of sustainable business, green, and alternative energy advertisers – from banks to oil companies to technology firms. As we don’t see this type of advertizing to any great extent in Southern Europe, this got me thinking about the North-South divide, and how so very different values and priorities are across the continent. It’s not that sustainable business isn’t talked about down South – it is. But it’s more of a grassroots conversation, and it doesn’t seem to be institutionalized the way it is amongst our Northern neighbors. Sure, there are recycling bins in Rome and many use them – but there is a widespread suspicion that the trash just gets thrown together anyway so many conclude “why bother?”. As a coastal city, wind energy is on the minds of the Portuguese … but generally peppered with a “not in my back yard” type of response. In the end I think as a whole we are headed in the right direction. But on this Old Continent – just like a fine Bordeaux – good things take time.