A great sales pitch is one that contains urgency. People shouldn’t just want to buy your product. They should want to buy it today. Finding that sense of urgency and communicating it to others is a big part of a successful sale.

Sustainability has urgency built in. Climate change is happening right now. Biodiversity loss is happening right now. There are so many negative things that can be changed if we act immediately. On the more positive side, there is a veritable flood of opportunities in the sustainability sector. Grants, first mover advantage, employer distinction – these are things that can be taken advantage of right now and may not be there tomorrow.

Why, then, do people not flock to sustainability actions? Firstly, sustainability operates on a long-term framework. You are doing work that will pay off potentially years from now. You are building a world that will bring positive impact to people now and in the future. This kind of thinking can be less powerful when faced with the standard short-termism of business and the pressing demands that each workday can bring.

Additionally, the doom and gloom of climate change can halt people in their tracks. It is so scary and incomprehensibly large that any action will feel hopeless. It is like being a cog in a machine, only the machine is going to fall of a cliff.

The answer to many of these challenges is to simply begin. Start incorporating sustainability into each role in your organization. Do an audit to figure out where your biggest impact is. Talk to your stakeholders about what they value and how your organization interacts with them. It was better to start yesterday, and it is better to start today than never.