Sustainability has become a buzzword we hear everywhere in policies, products, and programs. Yet, despite its popularity, its true meaning often remains misunderstood or diluted. More than just tree planting or climate rhetoric, sustainability is about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

But as we dig deeper, we must grapple with these fundamental questions: How do we measure whether we are meeting our needs responsibly? Who is supposed to keep us accountable? Is sustainability for us all, or is it a conversation for the privileged few?

Far too often, sustainability has been framed in abstract, complex terms, making it feel like a sole responsibility of governments, big corporations, and international bodies. This perception is not only misleading but dangerous. It distances individuals, local communities, and especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the conversation and the action.

Africa stands at a critical juncture. With a rapidly growing youth population and worsening climate impacts, we cannot afford to view sustainability as someone else’s problem. Young people and SMEs are not just affected by sustainability challenges; they are positioned to solve them.

At Sustainable Kenya, we work closely with grassroots entrepreneurs, smallholder farmers, and informal vendors, the backbone of African economies. They are systematically excluded from global sustainability conversations and frameworks, which have been designed and built without them in mind. Many global ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) standards are curated for large, well-resourced corporations in the Global North. They assume access to resources, consultants, legal teams, and accurate data. These are luxuries that are out of reach for most SMEs in low- to middle-income economies like Kenya.

This is where localisation becomes essential. We must reimagine sustainability tools to reflect African realities. Sustainable Kenya is addressing this gap with an AI-powered platform that helps SMEs assess and improve their sustainability performance in a simple, practical, and cost-effective way. Through short self-assessments, businesses receive actionable insights tailored to their size, sector, and context without needing expensive consultants or complex reporting systems.

For us, it’s not just about measuring sustainability, it’s about seizing its opportunities. Africa’s transition to a green economy could generate millions of jobs for young people, from solar energy to sustainable agriculture, waste upcycling to green transport. By democratising sustainability and embedding it into local entrepreneurship and educational systems, we can turn climate risk into an economic opportunity.

To truly drive change, however, we need a mindset shift. We must stop viewing sustainability as an unattainable ideal and start seeing it as a practical, day-to-day commitment. It touches everything from how we produce, consume, and move, to how we engage communities and care for workers. It’s about you and me. Small actions, when multiplied, can create systemic change.

Now more than ever, Africa needs to invest not just in infrastructure, but in inclusive systems that empower young people and SMEs to lead the sustainability agenda. Ultimately, sustainability must be built from the ground up; open, accessible, and rooted in local realities.