Indian thinker Mahatma Gandhi once said that “the future depends on what you do today”. Indeed, the future doesn’t simply arrive; it is built choice by choice, generation by generation. With something as far-reaching as sustainability — or how we attain our goals today while also ensuring the same for the future — it cannot be written by anyone alone. Still, it is an active choice that starts with you and me.

The first day of Manila Bulletin’s 2025 Sustainability Forum at the National University in Sampaloc, Manila already offered a lot of insight into sustainability, particularly through the lenses of environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and how the youth of today can help shape their own and collective future for the better.

Since sustainability cuts across different sectors and aspects of society, I think the students of the National University are fortunate to have systems thinking integrated into their curriculum. It reinforces the need to think about the future when we make decisions in the present. Systems thinking is a mindset that requires viewing problems holistically, assessing relationships and interconnections within a system, and identifying the underlying structures and patterns to inform the development of an effective and sustainable solution. 

I think it is commendable that the academe is embracing the need to have a systems view of things around them, so that they do not take their disciplines, tasks, or solutions to exist in vacuums. Rather, by having systems thinking, they are made aware of both the intended as well as unintended consequences of their work, as well as exploring unknowns. “We do not want unintended results coming from good intentions,” a member of the NU faculty said.

Within any system, sector, or organization, governance — or good ethical standards — should be a pillar of why and how they operate. As Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan pointed out during his keynote speech, failure to promote peace and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels (UN Sustainable Development Goal 16) can drag down the attainment of the rest of the Sustainable Development Goals. Without governance as a pillar, we risk taking away from the present and more so from the future.

Manila Bulletin’s Philip Cu-unjieng also opined that the G in ESG has seemingly become underappreciated and misunderstood, as is painfully reflected in today’s current events. This makes it all the more necessary that the youth of today be guided to develop a foundation grounded in objectivity and critical thinking, he explained, especially within an increasingly digital world where the “truth” has become malleable. To his point, governance is good since it hardwires sustainability into corporations and organizations, helping ensure that there are systems and frameworks to perpetuate sustainable practices.

In AboitizPower, we very well know that we are part of a wider power grid, a wider energy system, a wider Philippine economy, and an even wider environment. Our purpose is to Transform Energy for a Better World, where energy is reliable, accessible, and affordable, bringing shared prosperity, with renewable energy and other emerging technologies driving a just energy transition. Our sustainability strategy is grounded in three interconnected pillars of people, planet, and prosperity, which believes that true progress means uplifting lives, protecting the environment, and growing responsibly — all at the same time.

As the Manila Bulletin said, “sustainability thrives on collaboration”. In building the future, we can do so much as individuals, but we can do much more if we work with one another to accomplish greater goals. It is made even better when the synergies are amplified in well-established and well-run organizations that value sustainability and ESG. We must work hard to keep ourselves informed so that our actions and decisions — as individuals, as team members, and as citizens — are guided properly.