Sustainable Insight is a blog dedicated to understanding and investigating the notions of accountability and sustainability in the context of the 21st Century. After researching the idea of a healthy brand (Cook et al, 2010) and practices such as Corporate Social Investment (CSI) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), I was inspired to create a blog that really began to dig-deep into the issues of accountability and sustainability.
There is a need for a clearer definition of the terminology, as well as a need for a guideline on how to practice accountability and sustainability in a variety of contexts. While the blog will orientate itself around a predominantly South African context, case studies from around the world will be provided as a reference point.
I want to try dispel the myth that sustainability only refers to environmental issues. Often connotations of the word sustainable include: green energy, renewable energy, carbon foot print and global warming. I think that the presence of society on earth has an effect far greater than just on the environment. Sustainability is about understanding these intricacies, and being able to adapt the way we live and practice business accordingly.
I have called the Blog Sustainable Insight for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Blog was born out of an insight: this being that there is a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding the notions of sustainability and accountability. Secondly, I feel that a future of sustainable thinking is in sight, and lastly because of the connotation of ‘incite.’ To incite means to encourage, and this Blog is intended generate awareness in order to catalyse a movement toward accountable and sustainable practices.
It is the intention that the Blog should provide a platform for collaboration and discussion around the key issues. I encourage you to please post comments or to e-mail your articles to be featured on the Guest Bloggers page.
From time to time there will a brief posted on the Blog. In certain instances there will be benefit to the top contributor, while in other instances, ‘it’s having your say that counts.’ I encourage you to interact with the brief and to post your solutions (or e-mail them to me).
If you own a business, manage a brand or even have an idea, and think you may have a brief applicable to this Blog, then please send it to me via e-mail. Who knows, you could end up with a few really great solutions!
Please see the Definitions and Healthy Brand pages for further information and clarification around the different terms and phrases used. Please also visit the Reference List page for a host of interesting and relevant readings and links.
My e-mail contact is: sustainableblog@gmail.com
accountablekate.wordpress.com 
Awesome blog Kate – well done. Great reading.
Excellent blog that promises great things to come in a very relevant area of concern. Sending other comments via your e-mail.
This is an extremely insightful and inspirational blog that represents innovative, intersectional thinking between brand, marketing, political and economic disciplines – to name a few.
It most certainly has offered me significant food for thought, and several of the thought pieces deserve, in my view, wider readership. I would suggest a simple e-mail campaign to brand and corporate communications businesses and practicioners together with further exposure on social media sites a worthwhile starting place. If I am able to help here then I should be delighted to do so.
A very good read indeed.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments Mr Fox, I appreciate that you took the time to have a look at my research activation. I have created an e-mailer, which I had sent out to the contacts of Vega Brand Communication School (the institute where I study). I believe that only the link was sent to you, and not the image. Perhaps you could send me an email to sustainableblog@gmail.com and I could forward you the e-mailer. I would appreciate your comments and feedback on it. I have also distributed the blog via Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook- but I would greatly appreciate any advice you could offer me with regard to distributing the blog more widely.
With thanks,
Kate
Your blog has reached the shores of New Zealand. A small country with a big focus on the subject of sustainability. Congratulations on your building story around sustainability and accountability. I particularly like your added focus on getting people in the mix and also add that sustainable jobs and keeping families together should be part of the quest for a sustainable society. Keep up the good work
Hi Dwayne,
Thank you so much for your comments- I would be interested to know what the core focuses (if there are key areas)with regard to sustainability are in New Zealand? In turn, what efforts are in place to achieve the goals/aims? Please continue to visit and interact on the blog. New content will be uploaded in the next day or so.
thanks, Kate