In essence, the idea of creating a more sustainable world is clear and simple. However, getting there is quite a different matter. It is all too easy to feel totally daunted by the challenges that lie ahead, but we should not allow ourselves to be ground down by pessimism. There are cautious grounds for optimism. On a political level, tackling climate change and building a more sustainable world are on the global agenda, imperfect and flawed as that agenda may be.

Furthermore, we should not underestimate the ingenuity of the human race and its capacity to adapt to difficult challenges. We need a new anthropocene with human learning and human activity as a positive force for tackling climate change and as a force for sustainability.

Engelman (2013, p 8) has argued that:

However, Engelman surely misses the point. Seeking to ensure a world fit for future generations and trying to safeguard the well-being and prosperity of the current generation is not a zero-sum game. One depends upon the other. The kind of world that we need to create for the benefit of future generations, including human well-being and environmental sustainability, is surely the kind of world that the current generation needs. This is at the heart of the sustainability agenda. We need to keep our focus on this.