For several years now, experts have sounded the alarm over the loneliness of Americans, to the point of calling it a “public health epidemic”. Chances are that you have seen it on the news, and you may even know someone who experiences loneliness or feel lonely yourself. Loneliness has correlated with many serious physical health problems, such as heart disease and stroke. Thus, there has been a push in the American medical world to address loneliness.

In 2023, the US Surgeon General released an advisory addressing the loneliness epidemic. It included six pillars for a national strategy to combat loneliness:

1. Strengthen Social Infrastructure in Local Communities. (Social infrastructure is the programs, policies, and physical spaces that support social connection.)
   • Stakeholders: Everyone
2. Enact Pro-Connection Public Policies.
   • Stakeholders: Governments
3. Mobilize the Health Sector.
   • Stakeholders: Healthcare systems, public health professionals
4. Reform Digital Environments.
   • Stakeholders: Governments, technology companies, researchers, media and entertainment companies
5. Deepen Our Knowledge.
   • Stakeholders: governments, researchers, and philanthropists
6. Cultivate a Culture of Connection.
   • Stakeholders: Everyone

Crucially, the stakeholders listed includes “everyone”. So, here we are. It is time to get connected, everyone!

Wait a minute. This is a blog for a sustainable business consulting company. Your last posts were about reporting standards and cost reduction. What gives?

I am writing about the loneliness epidemic because the solutions given by the surgeon general overlap with sustainability actions. There should be alignment and communication between people in the sustainability space and those concerned with loneliness. Furthermore, building a sustainable future requires strong connections between people and the development of social capital to put towards a common cause. We are not going to see enough progress in things like climate action and biodiversity promotion if we do not have the social capital to make things happen.

Let’s look again at those pillars that list ‘everyone’ as a key stakeholder: Strengthen Social Infrastructure in Local Communities and Cultivate a Culture of Connection. These are priorities familiar to sustainability practitioners.

The advisory gives a few examples of social infrastructure, such as public transportation, housing, and green spaces, that overlap nicely with sustainability initiatives. Prioritizing actions that both social and environmental issues will bring benefits to multiple groups, and the stakeholder engagement required to make those policy ideas into reality will forge bonds that can carry a community into the future.

For sustainability work to find success, we all have to go beyond individual action and enter our communities to form a variety of connections. If done right, this can also mean we all become a little less lonely and thus more resilient to the challenges we face now and in the future.

For several years now, experts have sounded the alarm over
the loneliness of Americans, to the point of calling it a “public health
epidemic”. https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/News-Releases/New-APA-Poll-One-in-Three-Americans-Feels-Lonely-E
Chances are that you have seen it on the news, and you may even know someone
who experiences loneliness or feel lonely yourself. Loneliness has correlated ed
with many serious physical health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
Thus, there has been a push in the American medical world to address
loneliness. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173418268/loneliness-connection-mental-health-dementia-surgeon-general
In 2023, the US Surgeon General released an advisory
addressing the loneliness epidemic. It included six pillars for a national
strategy to combat loneliness:1.     
Strengthen Social Infrastructure in Local
Communities. (Social infrastructure is the programs, policies, and physical
spaces that support social connection.)a.     
Stakeholders: Everyone2.     
Enact Pro-Connection Public Policies.a.     
Stakeholders: Governments3.     
Mobilize the Health Sector.a.     
Stakeholders: Healthcare systems, public health
professionals4.     
Reform Digital Environments.a.     
Stakeholders: Governments, technology companies,
researchers, media and entertainment companies5.     
Deepen Our Knowledge.a.     
Stakeholders: governments, researchers, and
philanthropists6.     
Cultivate a Culture of Connection.a.     
Stakeholders: EveryoneCrucially, the stakeholders listed includes “everyone”. So,
here we are. It is time to get connected, everyone!Wait a minute. This is a blog for a sustainable business
consulting company. Your last posts were about reporting standards and cost
reduction. What gives?I am writing about the loneliness epidemic because the
solutions given by the surgeon general overlap with sustainability actions.
There should be alignment and communication between people in the
sustainability space and those concerned with loneliness. Furthermore, building
a sustainable future requires strong connections between people and the
development of social capital to put towards a common cause. We are not going
to see enough progress in things like climate action and biodiversity promotion
if we do not have the social capital to make things happen. Let’s look again at those pillars that list ‘everyone’ as a
key stakeholder: Strengthen Social Infrastructure in Local Communities and
Cultivate a Culture of Connection. These are priorities familiar to
sustainability practitioners.The advisory gives a few examples of social infrastructure,
such as public transportation, housing, and green spaces, that overlap nicely
with sustainability initiatives. Prioritizing actions that both social and
environmental issues will bring benefits to multiple groups, and the
stakeholder engagement required to make those policy ideas into reality will
forge bonds that can carry a community into the future. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/connection/resources/index.html
For sustainability work to find success, we all have to go
beyond individual action and enter our communities to form a variety of
connections. If done right, this can also mean we all become a little less
lonely and thus more resilient to the challenges we face now and in the future.