Pushing past the boundaries of sustainability

Bridging the gap between the damage humanity has caused to our planet and building a relationship with the world around us is key to the restoration of life, says Bill Reed, a leader in sustainability and regenerative planning, design, and implementation.

Discussing the topic of regenerative development during QF’s recent Education City Speaker Series, Reed asks: “What does it take us – as a culture – to shift to appreciating and knowing our role and relationship to these living systems that support us?

“Regeneration is a world where we move from a transactional relationship – for example, if I do something to nature, maybe nature will give us cleaner water – to a whole culture that understands our role is to tend nature, to tend the wild.”

We are negating and destroying our planet on multiple fronts, Reed explains, that even if we solve climate change, we are still on a downward trajectory.

“This means that we need to engage multiple areas at the same time, which will require a complete cultural shift. Essentially, regenerative development is growing the capacity and capability of a culture in each place to engage with life on its own terms – it’s a reciprocal relationship – one that is a relationship of love, if you will.”

According to Reed, this means pushing past the boundaries of sustainability – to re-think and re-frame, and create an evolution. “How do we restore a healthy ecosystem?” Reed asks.

“That’s where regenerative development comes in. It involves not only sustainability but regenerating all our relationships with the systems that govern our lives. Life is not static; we can’t fix it and walk away. Things are always moving, they are dynamic. Regeneration is about a continual process of re-birth within the place you live.”

“Every place is a living organism. Nature will regenerate itself if we take care of it correctly. We can’t save the earth; the earth will save us.”

Reed was joined by Ibrahim Mohamed Jaidah, Group CEO and Chief Architect, Arab Engineering Bureau, and Dr. Anne Poelina, Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council in Western Australia and an indigenous community leader who advocates for the rights of both humans and nature, for the Education City Speaker Series. The talk was moderated by Jason Twill, Director of the World Cup Master Program at Qatar Foundation.

The next Education City Speaker Series event will take place on November 18 with Giles Duley - a reportage photographer, storyteller, and humanitarian – as part of the virtual World Innovation Summit for Health conference. Duley, a triple-amputee, will speak about how people with disabilities are viewed in society in his talk titled ‘Reframing our View of Disability’.

For more information, please visit: Education City Speaker Series