Alain is a co-founder and CEO of Amarenco Group, a leading European solar photovoltaic infrastructure investment company based in Ireland. His 20-year career has focused on international development and investment in water and low carbon energy infrastructure. Previously, he led Solon France, was a General Manager of Samsung Green Energy, and worked as a Business Unit Director of Engie water portfolio company. He has an MBA from INSEAD and a Master’s degree in Water & Environmental Sciences from ENGEES. He is President of the Heartfulness Institute France. 

Alain-Desvigne.jpg

Alain Desvigne

<h4>ALAIN DESVIGNE asks why we have been so unsuccessful in implementing the 17
 Sustainable Development Goals that officially came into force in 2016, and proposes an 18th SDG that will allow us
 to fulfill all the others. This paper was first presented at the conference for “The Elevation of Consciousness
 Through Meditation for Global Harmony” in August 2019, at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India.</h4>
The concept of sustainability was popularized in the Brundtland Report, published in
 1987. This document, which was also referred to as Our Common Future, was elaborated for the United Nations
 in order to warn the world about the negative environmental consequences of economic development and globalization,
 with the aim of offering solutions to the problems arising from industrialization and population growth.
The concept of sustainability aims at achieving global well-being for present and future
 generations. In the report, the means to achieve that goal were provided and detailed around three essential
 pillars:
1. Environmental protection 
 2. Social development 
 3. Economic growth
It was on 1 January 2016, that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030
 Agenda for Sustainable Development – adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit –
 officially came into force: a call to action to protect the planet and guarantee the global well-being of people.

Although the concept of sustainability was acknowledged by the world community back in
 the 1980s, and despite the fact that global awareness of sustainable development has been growing over the years,
 actual tangible results still fall short of any of the set goals.
Why is it so? One possible explanation is our lack of a sense of urgency.
As a species, do we realize that the crisis we face is unprecedented and represents
 potentially the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced? Do we realize that the impact on each one of us, i.e.
 individuals, families, communities and ultimately nations, is absolutely key to shaping our collective destiny?
I doubt we do. And why is that so? It seems that our current level of collective
 consciousness does not allow for this sense of urgency to emerge. Now what if we are actually missing one core SDG –
 the fundamental goal that will allow the 17 current goals to manifest?
What if we add “The Evolution of Consciousness” as our very first SDG? My proposal is
 very simple: it is to add this goal as the 18th SDG to the existing list of 17 SDGs.
Let us imagine for a moment that we reach a level of collective consciousness that is a
 tipping point in uniting us all in one conscious and sustainable force. The 17 SDGs would automatically become an
 absolute priority for individuals, organizations and governments. This would secure the stability of our future,
 environmentally, economically, and socially.
Therefore, identifying and implementing the means to accelerate the evolution of our
 collective consciousness should be the main task and absolute priority of our current generation.
How can we do this? The main challenge lies with the fact that the expansion of
 collective consciousness depends on the evolution of each and everyone’s individual consciousness. And in order to
 undertake the journey of individual consciousness, we need to understand its prerequisites: What drives or inhibits
 the expansion of individual consciousness?
The evolution of consciousness depends on the evolution of our mind – thinking,
 intellect and ego. Indeed, our thinking has far more effect on our environment than we could ever imagine. We are
 actually constantly polluting the environment with our unregulated thoughts, without actually being conscious of it,
 and this level of pollution is the major obstacle in the individual and therefore collective evolution of
 consciousness.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Identifying and implementing the 
 means to accelerate the evolution 
 of our collective consciousness 
 should be the main task and 
 absolute priority of our current 
 generation.</h5>
<hr>
It is easier to grasp intuitively the impact of our thoughts on our inner environment to
 begin with. Take the simple instance of a moment when we are at rest and let our minds roam. After a while, that
 will take us to the shores of a memory, perhaps to a joyful moment when we were reunited with a loved one. That
 simple thought will change our internal environment and raise a new inner state within us, a state of joy.
 Conversely, that same wandering mind may take us to the shores of a very different memory, the terrible loss of a
 loved one, leaving us in a state of great sadness. Our inner state will then be a state of sorrow, pain and
 distress.
Our thoughts are creating, nurturing or destroying our inner environment.
<div class="text-center">
 <img alt="the-18th-sustainable-development-goal" class="lazyload has-img-center mb-4"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/18th_sustainable2_65e5cb7737.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:25:08.534Z">
</div>
There is an increasing number of scientific publications pointing to the average number
 of thoughts per day: it seems a human being has on average 10,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day with more than 95% of
 them being exactly the same as the day before and with more than 80% of them being negative!
These facts are staggering: they illustrate that our inner environment is polluted most
 of the time by negative and repetitive thoughts. So how can consciousness evolve in such an inner climate?
In contrast, what happens when the mind is still? Take the example of the way we feel
 when we are plunged into wilderness, into pristine nature unspoiled by human activities: a mountain forest just
 after it has snowed; deep-sea diving, free diving or scuba diving; the desert around a campfire under a night sky.
 Are our feelings any different? A deep feeling of completeness emerges within our heart.
When we are engrossed in such external environments, we live a moment of profound
 completeness. Everyone can share this experience. External nature has the capacity to act upon our inner
 environment. At such times, our inner natural environment is perfectly in tune with the external nature. It is Union
 Time, a moment when we are one with nature.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">The evolution of
 consciousness 
 depends on the evolution of our mind – 
 thinking, intellect and ego. 
 Indeed, our thinking has far 
 more effect on our environment 
 than we could ever imagine. </h5>
<hr>
External nature has real powers, including the power to silence our thoughts. Thoughts
 are suspended for a while. We are in a state of wonder, paying attention to what is happening in the moment. We are
 present.
Meditation, when focused on the heart, and especially when supported by yogic
 Transmission, has the same power. It uses one simple thought – that the source of light is present within our hearts
 – and silences all the other thoughts that disturb our natural internal environment. That single thought we sow then
 creates a state similar to the “pristine,” “preserved,” external nature, a nature we could also label as “perfect.”

<div class="text-center">
 <img alt="the-18th-sustainable-development-goal" class="lazyload has-img-center mb-4"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/18th_sustainable3_fefdfa158b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:26:55.233Z">
</div>
And when the mind is perfectly still, we arrive at the state the yogic literature refers
 to as Samadhi. But this is not the end, because various states and dimensions of Samadhi start
 unfolding. There are indeed deeper and deeper levels of Samadhi on this journey to the Center of ourselves.
 While making the journey beyond the stillness of the mind, into the depth of our heart space, our inner environment,
 expansion of consciousness really takes off. When we reach this inner escape velocity, our consciousness is no
 longer pulled by the gravity of thoughts – it is not bound by any thoughts or patterns. It is set free. This is what
 I personally call the real moksha, which is often referred to in the yogic literature.
When we master the technique of meditation, we then learn to master our thoughts during
 our daily activities. We pursue our daily activities while remaining in a meditative state with open eyes. This is
 also called Sahaj Samadhi or the Turiyatit state: we are fully absorbed within and fully aware at the same
 time, so that our consciousness continuously expands. This is the ultimate goal of the yogi. When we succeed in
 remaining in a constant meditative state, what happens next?
We master our thinking activities, and the stillness of our inner environment starts
 affecting our external environment as well. When our thoughts are not under control, if we are angry for instance,
 even if the anger is not expressed the entire external environment suffers. In contrast, when joy is prevailing in
 our hearts, or when we are profoundly calm, serene, bathing in a state of profound completeness, our external
 environment will draw the biggest benefits from it. We experience these effects every day at work and when we come
 back home in the evening: if we carry an inner environment of joy, our family members and our colleagues
 reciprocate.
With the world’s population projected to reach 10 billion people in the next decades,
 there will be on average more than 100 trillion thoughts affecting the global environment every single day! Given
 that 80% of these thoughts are negative and 95% of them are repetitive, the level of pollution we live in is really
 alarming! And with such a level of environmental pollution, how can our individual and collective consciousness
 evolve without a practice to silence the mind?
Imagine for a moment the impact of one person in a state of Sahaj Samadhi on
 the external environment. When other individuals benefit from the joy carried in the depth of the person’s heart,
 imagine the ripple effect of a being in that community who is constantly expanding their consciousness. Now imagine
 the ripple effect of a nation on the world when all the citizens of that particular country are in Sahaj
 Samadhi.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Imagine for a moment the impact of 
 one person in a state of Sahaj Samadhi 
 on the external environment. 
 When other individuals benefit from the joy 
 carried in the depth of the person’s heart, 
 imagine the ripple effect of a being 
 in that community who is constantly 
 expanding their consciousness. 
 Now imagine the ripple effect of a nation 
 on the world when all the citizens of 
 that particular country are in Sahaj Samadhi. </h5>
<hr>
Austrian Professor Peter Drucker says: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”
 It is relatively easy to assess the ecological footprint and carbon footprint of an individual, an organization or a
 nation. The indicators used measure the impact of our activities on nature. When these indicators are measured and
 mapped, we can then identify means and formulate strategies to reduce the footprint thanks to technological
 developments, energy efficiency improvements, better processes, product management etc.
<img alt="the-18th-sustainable-development-goal" class=" lazyload has-img-center "
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/18th_sustainable4_330947d460.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:27:41.419Z">

In the industry in which I operate, it is necessary to specify the carbon footprint of a
 solar energy infrastructure project presented in a public tender in France. It is a way to ensure the products and
 design of the proposed solar power plant will have a minimum ecological impact. And the score of the bid
 significantly depends on the carbon footprint of a proposed solution.
In the context of thinking activity, however, it is a real challenge! There is
 unfortunately no indicator that captures and maps what I call the “Thought Footprint.” Such an indicator would
 reveal the impact of human thinking activities on a specific location, a community, and much more. If we could find
 a way to implement this indicator, we could aim at setting up the ultimate goal of “Zero Thought Footprint” at the
 individual and community level, as the landmark to reaching the proposed 18th Sustainable Development Goal within
 our current lifetime.
This is thus an invitation to the whole scientific community to take up the challenge of
 measuring our thoughts footprint analysis, so that we can pave the way to a sustainable world!
But here comes the good news: we don’t need to wait for science to find ways to measure
 and track this indicator, because we can work towards achieving the proposed 18th SDG here and now, very easily,
 thanks to the practice of meditation with the support of yogic Transmission. Accessible to all, such a simple
 practice can help us dive into the depths of our hearts, beyond the stillness of our minds, and take on the journey
 of perpetual expansion of consciousness, so that one day, undoubtedly very soon, we shall together achieve the other
 17 SDGs and thus achieve global well-being for the present and future generations.
<h6 style="text-align: justify;">Reprinted with permission from Consciousness in Management, 2019. 
 Edited by E. Denley and T. Kaur, Heartfulness Education Trust, India.</h6>
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ALAIN DESVIGNE 
 Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4>
<hr>

The 18th sustainable development goal

&nbsp;<h4>ALAIN DESVIGNE is the CEO of a leading solar company, the Amarenco Group. He strives to contribute to sustainability in every field of life. Here he explores the nature of reducing and minimalizing our use of resources in the world, by working on our reaction emissions and inner climate changes.</h4>&nbsp;<h4>What has led us to this point?&nbsp;</h4>The Industrial Revolution marks a major turning point in the history of the world. Indeed, almost every aspect of daily life was influenced in some way. The population growth and GDP per capita had been broadly stable for thousands of years, and suddenly the average income and the size of the human population began to exhibit unprecedented growth during this new era. However, it is a growth that we acknowledge now, 200 years later, as being harmful to the overall fragile balance of Nature.&nbsp;The unsustainable model of development associated with the Industrial Revolution has led us to where we are today – a “house on fire.” But how could the trajectory of one single species succeed in hijacking the journey of millions of others and even jeopardize life itself?&nbsp;The core underlying principle of the Industrial Revolution was based on more, more and more. Adding new basic materials, chiefly iron and steel, adding the use of new energy sources, including fuels and motive power such as coal and petroleum, adding new machines … The list goes on and on to lead us to the ever-increasing accumulation of carbon and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, more growth, more shareholder value, etc.&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Can we simply reverse the problem?&nbsp;</h4>Thus, at first glance, unravelling the devastating effect of the past seems very simple. The answer lies in fixing the source of the problem that created it: we just need more of less and less! Less of harmful sources of energy, less of harmful lifestyles, less of harmful pollution, etc. In short, less of anything that is contributing to an unsustainable model of development.&nbsp;This is why the mantra these days of every conscious leader, including conscious policy makers, is to set “zero objectives” – zero emissions, zero carbon economy, zero carbon footprint, zero waste, zero environmental impact, zero pollution, zero poverty, zero hunger, zero unemployment, etc. Zero objectives are promoted everywhere as the path to restoring the original balance, to re-establishing a model of development that preserves life and contributes to well-being, starting with ours, not only for the current generations but for all upcoming ones.&nbsp;Having said that, resetting the current trajectory is extremely challenging.&nbsp;<hr>Zero objectives are promoted everywhere&nbsp; as the path to restoring the original balance,&nbsp; to re-establishing a model of development that preserves life &nbsp;and contributes to well-being.&nbsp; Having said that, resetting&nbsp; the current trajectory is extremely challenging.<hr>To begin with, it requires huge amounts of capital. Net emissions have grown by 40% over the past 30 years. Meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement goal related to climate change will necessitate a 90% fall of carbon emissions from the current COVID-struck levels over the next 30 years. Meanwhile, the world’s human population is expected to rise by two billion, and the gross product may triple over the same period. In practice, with our global economy still generating over 80 to 85% of its energy consumption from fossil fuels, the transition away from fossil fuels will require $1.5 trillion extra annual investment in the power system alone, according to the International Energy Agency. That is more or less 1% of today’s global GDP.&nbsp;The good news is that the outbreak of COVID-19 has proven to be a major turning point for ESG1 investing (ESG1 is the highest rating a company can achieve for strategy that considers Environmental, Social and Governance ratings alongside traditional financial metrics). Sustainable funds attracted record inflows in 2020 amid the market turmoil, according to data from Morningstar, and many of these funds have outperformed the broader market for the year. Also, some industry leaders of polluting technologies are moving away from their original business practices. For instance, Toshiba and Siemens both announced they were moving away from coal in November 2020. Toshiba is committed not to take any new construction orders for coal-fired power plants, while Siemens stated it would stop selling turbines for new coal-fired facilities.&nbsp;Unfortunately, this is very far from being enough.&nbsp;The “21st Century Power” edition of The Economist (October 2020) confirms that all current and planned investments drastically fall short of what is needed to keep temperatures within 2°C of pre-industrial levels, let alone the 1.5°C required to limit the environmental, economic and political turmoil of climate change.&nbsp;<hr>Beliefs that make smart people dumb&nbsp; include the belief that intellectual ability is fixed,&nbsp; that current performance measures long-term potential,&nbsp; and that people who are truly gifted&nbsp; don’t need effort for their achievements.<hr><h4>Our belief systems are making us dumb</h4>So what is missing? Why is the required change not taking place, or, let’s say, not fast enough?&nbsp;When I was doing my MBA at INSEAD, back in 2007, one of my favorite classes was “The Social Psychology of Management,” conducted by Professor Allan M. Filipowicz. I still remember an article he shared with us called “Beliefs That Make Smart People Dumb.¹” Carol Dweck identifies both the beliefs that make smart people dumb and the more adaptive beliefs that make people smarter. Beliefs that make smart people dumb include the belief that intellectual ability is fixed, that current performance measures long-term potential, and that people who are truly gifted don’t need effort for their achievements. More adaptive beliefs include that intellectual potential can be developed, that current performance simply tells you where you are and what you need to do now, and the belief that everyone needs sustained effort to realize their potential.&nbsp;We can apply these principles to everything related to change management. It is our own belief system that is the first obstacle, and that obstacle is definitely not a small one! When we talk about changing ourselves rather than changing others and our external environment, there is immediate resistance from within. We react and fight with all possible arguments: “I am just a drop in the ocean, so why should I change?” or “How can my own change really make a difference?”&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/toward_zero_beyond2_be70513977.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T10:58:34.467Z" alt="toward-zero-beyond2">&nbsp;&nbsp;So the first belief we need to remove from our database is that we are who we are, and we can’t do anything about it. And the first belief we need to add to our database is that every change does make a difference, because the ocean is made of drops!&nbsp;When we don’t change beliefs, we are destined to fail individually and, therefore, collectively. While Dweck’s article focuses on the belief that our intellectual potential is fixed, the same misconception extends to our emotional structure, our mental patterns, and our habits and lifestyle. In short, our whole character! The most amazing thing is that we have no problem believing that it is within our power to change our external environment, including other people in our lives, like our children. In fact, we spend so much time trying to change them! Isn’t it funny that we believe we have more control over the outside than what is inside us?<h4>Change begins within</h4>If the old adage is right, that “change begins with me,” and change starts with changing my own belief system, where to begin? Assuming we have successfully understood the fact that we can truly “in-power” ourselves to change, then we have the capacity to impact our inner climate as much as we are impacting our external climate.When we look at the nature of our relationships, and the decisions we make or don’t make, resulting in action and inaction, they are all the result of our inner fabric. Thus, changing our inner fabric leads to fundamental changes in how we make decisions, and the way we navigate relationships. This ultimately is translated into our actions and how we build human rapport. Our personal inner changes impact all the people with whom we are connected, and this is how the world is constantly evolving, for better or worse!&nbsp;If we are to start owning this inner transformation, my personal take on the very first step is the following: We need to start by curbing our reaction emissions. That is a bold statement given that many of you may not initially see the correlation between climate protection and curbing reaction emissions!&nbsp;<h4>Reaction emissions</h4>Reactions are expressions of our untrained ego. Every time we react to a situation, it is the noise the ego makes because the “I” is reacting. The moment the “I” reacts, we lose our natural state of balance. Losing balance creates a separation from the original state. And because of the inner climate change caused by a reaction, we usually end up emitting reactions around us which impact the climate of our relationships like a butterfly effect.&nbsp;<hr>Every time we react to a situation,&nbsp; it is the noise the ego makes because the “I” is reacting.&nbsp; The moment the “I” reacts, we lose our natural state of balance.<hr>How many times have we felt miserable after our negative reaction affected someone dear to us, such as a family member, a friend or a colleague? Every time we react negatively with someone we love, we fall into the trap set by the ego. The inner trigger resulting from an external input ends up being a major climatic event, which alters the balance of the relationship with the person we love. We end up with regret and remorse, but still we continue with the same pattern again and again.At first, a reaction to any situation creates bubbles within, which then convert into waves when they reach the surface. The waves can be simple ripples on the surface of the water, or they can turn into a tsunami if the reaction taking place within becomes an inner earthquake.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/toward_zero_beyond3_a98dbee710.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T10:58:34.287Z" alt="toward-zero-beyond">&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>The need to pause</h4>My experience with reaction management, with varying levels of success, is to avoid the bubbles reaching the surface by pausing. That pause is the critical element in tackling a reaction. It gives time for my heart to identify the appropriate response to the external situation. Instead of a devastating ego-driven reaction, I shift my focus towards a heart-driven response. And this pause can be a few seconds or minutes, or even a few days sometimes!&nbsp;<h4>Zero reaction</h4>The next level is to develop the capacity of not letting even one bubble form. That’s the ultimate goal. We can call it a “zero reaction emissions” goal, implying a “zero reaction footprint.”&nbsp;Zero reaction requires absolute nothingness within, absolute vacuity. It is only when we have achieved that state of nothingness within that we are able to welcome any input cheerfully as there is nothing within to react upon.When is this possible? When the ego is totally subdued. When it takes the backseat. “I” still exists, but the heart takes the front seat. To reach and maintain such a state 24 hours every day is a life goal, for sure, but we need to start somewhere and be fully convinced that we can get there one day.&nbsp;What I have personally learnt in this journey toward a zero reaction footprint is one very precious lesson: To bring my ego to a state of constant awe so that it is completely subjugated by the heart’s wisdom. Step by step, when I give the heart the chance to respond and take decisions, and observe the result, I am filled with wonder and accept to “in-power” it more and more: “Yes, please do respond because you have much more wisdom than I have.” The more we give our heart a chance to guide and notice its capacity to make the appropriate responses and decisions, the more we learn to trust the heart and the more we let it run the show.&nbsp;<h4>Beyond zero</h4>And then what? Is there more to it? Does anything exist beyond zero?High up in the Eastern Himalayas is one of the greenest countries in the world. The Kingdom of Bhutan has not only achieved zero carbon emissions but is already carbon negative, meaning that it takes more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it emits. Sandwiched between China and India, Bhutan spans approximately 14,800 square miles, with vast woodlands covering approximately 70% of the country that act as a natural carbon sink. With around 750,000 people, Bhutan removes nearly three times as much CO2 as it produces.So when we reach a constant zero reaction footprint, I do believe we can go even beyond and become reaction sinks. We can develop the heart so that we absorb reaction emissions from others with whom we interact.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/toward_zero_beyond4_e4bb98c1df.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T10:58:34.376Z" alt="toward-zero-beyond">&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>Possibilities</h4>But back to the bold statement: How are carbon and reaction sinks related to each other?&nbsp;A life where the ego is cheerfully “in-powering” the heart to take the front seat is an integrative life, an inclusive life. It is a life in which the responses we make, the decisions we take, and the actions we carry out are not based on reactions but on the wisdom of the heart. This means they come from the highest planes of consciousness. This applies equally to situations where our families are involved, our communities, the organizations we lead, or the governments we run.&nbsp;Now imagine the world we could shape! Thanks to the ripple effect of responses to situations and interactions with others, as well as decisions we take as leaders of organizations and nations, what if we are able to remain balanced and thus fully inclusive with such an approach? We would find new and creative solutions to our current global and local challenges without the unnecessary pollution of our untamed egos. We could nurture relationships with each other, including nations, based on trust and respect, thus yielding sustainable collective peace. We could integrate in our decision making long-term shareholder value and GDP growth with all the other dimensions that are at stake to preserve life today and tomorrow, thus yielding sustainable prosperity for all.&nbsp;The possibilities arising from such a shift of approach towards life itself are only limited by our capacity to transform our old inner fabric. So the only question that we are left with is the following one: Are we willing to try it out and convert imagination into action?&nbsp;&nbsp;¹ Dweck, C.S., 2002. “Beliefs That Make Smart People Dumb,” in Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid. Ed. R. J. Sternberg, pp. 24–41. Yale University Press, USA.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

Alain Desvigne

Explore