Thrivable Scotland

What next for sustainability?

When I started working in sustainability, I felt part of a growing movement that had a real chance of creating a better, fairer world where we lived within the planet’s limits.

Now, 30 years later, climate change is accelerating, natural systems are collapsing and society seems to be heading for breakdown.

Is survival really the best we can hope for?

I’m not inspired by survival.

I don’t want this generation or any other to be merely surviving in a harsh and dangerous world.What if we don't accept survival as the goal?

That's what I'm exploring with Thrivable Scotland.

As I learn more, my ideas will evolve, but for now I believe that to create the conditions for thriving, we need to focus on three things:

Building Resilience

Building our own resilience, and the resilience of others, of communities, and of the organisations and institutions we need.

Regenerating Natural Systems

Allowing natural systems to recover and develop, helping us adapt to inevitable change, and bring us back within planetary boundaries.

Healing Society

Bringing out the best in human nature by celebrating and exemplifying our innate values of cooperation and care for each other and the rest of nature.

Podcast

Right now, I’m going out and about, taking a walk with people across the country who are working to build resilience, regenerate nature and heal society.

We're talking about: What's happening? What’s working? And why is it working?Back in the studio I'll be joined by co-hosts to discuss the conversation and how "what works" could be shared and scaled, and applied in different contexts.I've got interviews recorded and planned with people working in a variety of contexts from nature conservation to the NHS, from housing associations to renewable energy, farming to seafood.First episode coming soon – subscribe below to Notes for a Thrivable Scotland to be notified.

Events

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Join our events to explore what thriving means to you and your work, develop the skills to create the conditions for thriving, and build your community of people working for social and environmental change.

Our events are in person, and usually in the Edinburgh area. You can expect anything from netwalking in a park to a workshop in an improv studio!

The Inner Development Goals' 25 skills across five dimensions.

The Inner Development Goals offers an excellent guide to the skills needed for thiving and most of our events incorporate several of these.View the events calendar for current events and subscribe below to hear about new events as they are launched.

Notes

Every couple of weeks or so, I share the latest from my exploration of how we can create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive.

I'll be digging into what it actually mean to thrive, how might it be possible in the midst of the polycrisis and how we can develop the skills we need.You'll discover insights and ideas from the podcast conversations and from events – informed my own reflections, experience and reading.And of course, I'll let you know when the podcast is launched, and about upcoming events.You can check out the archive here or sign up below!

Subscribe to Notes for a Thrivable Scotland…

(If you let us know where you are, it will help us choose locations for future events.)

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I'm Osbert Lancaster, a long time sustainability leadership specialist and facilitator, living in Edinburgh and working across Scotland and occassionally beyond.

Thrivable Scotland started as a personal reflection on what I should do in the today's world. Then I started talking with others in similar situations about what's going on in the world, and decided to share my exploration.If you or your organisation is interested in collaborating in some way, please do get in touch. This could be include collaborative events, cross promotion or bringing the podcast to your conference.Currently, Thrivable Scotland is a passion project, self funded through my business Realise Earth. I'm open to sponsorship, especially funding for the podcast and in kind venue space for events.