Jersey, like the global community, is facing a multitude of crises - demand for housing, food security, soaring cost of living, skills and jobs gaps, poor mental health, and an aging demographic. These crises undermine economic growth, the key driver of our prosperity. This is a global phenomenon and there are no ready solutions outside of the Island. The response must be grassroots projects that ignite creativity, skill and promote the Jersey person, create self-sufficiency, and build resilience as we progress through our commitment to responding to our overarching, problem of climate and biodiversity collapse.
Growing the economy, building more houses, and expanding our Island infrastructure opposes and creates a tension with the achievement of the Governments Carbon Neutral Roadmap, developing a biodiversity net gain legal framework, protecting nature as a financial asset and expanding the percentage of land and sea managed for conservation. Tipping points are however irreparable and costly, and experts are now evidencing that the more biodiversity in a system striving for a just transition to net zero, the less stress there will be in the transition.
Climate collapse is an existential threat to all life on earth if temperatures increase by more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. This is not a future threat in the distance, it is a growing reality, and time is running out.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report, published in March 2023, evidences a rising threat to mental health and psychosocial well-being from rapidly increasing climate change, from emotional distress to anxiety, depression, grief, and suicidal behaviour, an exacerbation to our existing mental health epidemic. Jersey has not recovered from the mental health impact of COVID-19.
Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (JOLS) report 20222 identifies 27% of respondents scored their level of anxiety as high. Whilst levels of anxiety dipped a little post COVID, levels reported in 2022 are higher than during the peak of the pandemic.
People on lower incomes, living in rental or unqualified housing reported higher levels of anxiety. Families with higher incomes reported a lack of work life balance with no time for hobbies, social or family contact. 18% of adults born in Portugal or Madeira said they had no relatives or friends in Jersey or elsewhere that they could count on. Nearly 30% of adults said they felt lonely often or some of the time.
With increased pressure of rising inflation, there is possibly more stress in the system than in 2022 when 25% of households struggled to cope financially.
Economic growth has led us to over consumption of the planet and we find ourselves out of balance with nature. This is the opportunity for regeneration. A regenerative approach goes beyond sustainability and actively contributes to restoring and replenishing what human activities have radically deteriorated. From intensive agriculture, to expanding mega cities, energy production, design and manufacture, global economics and finance systems, most human endeavours manifest a worldview in which the natural world is understood as a resource to be exploited. With a fast-expanding human population, one million species at risk of extinction, and a looming global climate shift, we need to transition towards a new culture of repair. This will develop new creative propositions that can help restore our biodiversity, climate and empower communities. Instead of perpetuating an anthropocentric mindset which leads to the depletion of our underlying life-support systems, regenerative grass roots projects go beyond sustainable and circular design principles to actively promote a multi-species approach where human and other species co-habit holistically.
Embodiment practices take us away from racing, dramatic, and/or circular thoughts into the present moment. We start to feel and sense life experiences through our physical body, and commence the unpacking process of personal development. The result is an opening to our inherent creativity, reclamation of authenticity, stepping into free will, deepening relationship and improving mental health & wellbeing. Gradually we reconnect to the human and more than human world around us, find value, meaning and purpose to our lives and regenerate our lives from the inside out.
Economic downturn may be an opportunity for a regenerative approach to change that results in a re-balance with nature. An approach that responds to the crises of our times.
Sarah has developed a regenerative programme "Connect Me" sponsored by the Government of Jersey to support individuals respond to and progress through change.
Sarah is a Psychosynthesis Executive Leadership Coach with further qualifications in systemic and embodiment disciplines. Her coaching clients are women, located in Jersey and London, in senior leadership roles, who are responsible for innovative change. Find out more about Sarah.