For over 4.5 billion years, planet Earth has been the only known astronomical object harboring and nurturing life. Archeological findings and science have uncovered that we, the so called “modern” humans, or homo sapiens, have diverged from ancestral species around 200,000 years ago, on African soil. However, the earliest evidence of life found in the microfossils of microorganisms is believed to date to more than 3.4 billion years ago. Imagine that! 

We have been fortunate enough to witness the true splendor of nature’s abundance in documentaries and series produced by NatGeo, BBC Earth and Animal Planet. With their captivating content, they were the window into the world of the most astonishing and breath-taking plant and animal species, most frightening volcanoes, highest peaks and lowest terrains, shallowest and deepest waters, never-ending hot landscapes and cold corners.

Then, in April 2019, a long awaited series Our Planet aired on Netflix, produced in collaboration with the conservation charity organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Sitting in front of the TV, while hearing the unctuous tones and ever soothing voice of Sir David Attenborough, really makes one think  – “this looks promising”. It was unlike any other series – a true and worrying glimpse at the state of our planet and all its remaining wonders. With its breath-taking landscapes, the storyline of the series is built around the narrative that protecting the wildlife is an absolute imperative.

To date, there are 7.2 billion people on Earth. This number is projected to increase by one billion in the next decade, reaching almost ten billion by 2050. Compared to 1950 when human population was “only” 2.5 billion, these numbers clearly point out that the planet is gradually getting more populated and essentially overcrowded, a fact that puts into perspective not just the lives of humans but those of other living creatures too.

With that notion in mind, we are left wondering what is it that we have to do, that we owe to ourselves and future generations, in order to live in world in which, in the words of Mr. Attenborough “both humans and nature could thrive.”

In the eight episodes of the series, the narrator tells us the story about the marvels of the nature, filling the scenes with the most incredible biodiversity and ecosystems, while at the same time contrasting them with facts on how these are imperiled by our own actions. Truly defeating.

Admittedly, this is neither the first nor the only time someone tackled this topic. Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, Blue Planet and countless other documentaries of BBC’s Natural History Unit serve as proof that environmental messaging is getting more and more attention. However, this particular one uncomfortably forces us to concede our own complicity in the decline of the natural world and makes the astonishment colored with guilt, bewilderment with disturbance and pleasure with displeasure. It does not contend us. It flavors the nature’s splendor with emotion. It sends strong messages – it is our fault, it is bad, it is urgent, but not all is lost and there is still time to do something about it.

Now, one might ask oneself – what can be done to reverse this cycle of wrongdoing? Well, one thing is certain – A LOT. 

The fact that we live in Montenegro, a country so bountiful in natural wealth, puts a big burden on us. Why burden? Not only do we need to change our way of living for sustaining nature and for the purpose of making our lives better, but the effects of what we end up doing stretch way beyond our borders. Moreover, the fact that we have not yet faced problems with scarce resources, makes us take for granted what we have and appreciate less what Mother Nature has given us. We open taps while washing dishes, because the water is cheap and there is plenty of it; we cut trees, because there are endless forests and nobody will notice; we kill endangered species because we perceive it to be recreational fun; we burn waste, because that is the only way to get rid of it; we do not recycle, nor reuse.

We as a company have been dedicating a lot of our efforts to environmental messaging from the very beginning, and we aim including this aspect in all projects that we do. Not only that, we all personally try to change our everyday practices toward a more responsible and sustainable way of living. And this is not where we’ll stop. 

Determined to make a difference no matter how small it may seem at times, we remain eager to raise awareness about the importance of incorporating sustainable solutions in our daily endeavors, with hopes of changing the mindset of our community in the foreseeable future. We feel strongly obliged to do so, and we want YOU to feel the same way.

In the time to come, many of our future discussions will be oriented towards this topic, and we hope you will join us on this exciting journey of developing a more sustainable environment and corporate culture in Montenegro.