Culture is the Heartbeat of Sustainability
By Samata
When we talk about sustainability, the conversation so often begins in numbers—tons of discarded textiles, rising carbon footprints, millions of liters of water consumed. These figures are urgent, yes, but they only tell part of the story. Behind every statistic is a deeper truth: sustainability is not just about the planet—it’s about people. And at the very heart of people lies culture.
So much of the time you’ll see people trying to re-create something that is culturally significant…in music, fashion or entertainment, but all the energy, all the vibe, all the authenticity is missing. It’s like that Jay-Z line: ‘They think they made Hov, okay, so make another Hov.’
Culture isn’t copy-paste—it’s a mix of what you see, feel, and know, told with such honesty that it stops being a story… and just becomes a moment you’ll never forget. Culture breathes life into who we are. It’s expressed in the clothes we wear, the music that moves us, the art that stirs us, and the stories we share on screens and stages. It shapes our values, guides our choices, and inspires the way we live.
When sustainability is stripped from culture, it feels sterile—like a checklist of dos and don’ts. It becomes an obligation, something we know we “should” care about but struggle to feel. But when culture and sustainability come together, change feels natural. It stops being about what we sacrifice, and instead becomes a reflection of who we are and who we want to be. That is why expertise matters. Expertise is what bridges the two—helping organizations translate values into practices, and practices into culture. It ensures sustainability isn’t just a program on the side, but a living part of how people work, create, and belong.
At BLACK PEARL, we see culture as the pulse that drives sustainable action. Across fashion, music, and entertainment, we create initiatives that do more than reduce impact—they spark curiosity, celebrate creativity, and empower communities to engage with sustainability in meaningful ways. Our work reaches millions worldwide through collaborations with Cambridge University’s Centre for Sustainability Leadership, Billie Eilish and Maggie Baird’s OVERHEATED initiative, Coachella, Hollywood Climate Summit, LA Climate Week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and countless other creative institutions.
Take fashion as an example: nearly 60% of clothing ends up in landfills within a year. That’s not just waste—it’s a reflection of a culture that values speed over care, but like I shared with Al Gore, not all cultures behave this way. Even more shocking: every second, the world dumps or burns the equivalent of one garbage truck full of textiles. BLACK PEARL responds by bringing sustainability to life at events, offering hands-on activities like customizing clothes. People get to express themselves creatively while learning how to repair, care for, and reimagine what they wear.
In Tokyo, at the Eco Village with REVERB for Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft tour, we spotlighted sustainable fashion and the creative communities leading change. For anyone who couldn’t be there, the Tokyo Sustainable Fashion Guide—and 17 others available in the sustainability section of billieeilish.com—offers a way to dive in. Each guide highlights designers and community initiatives that make sustainability feel real, inspiring, and connected to everyday life.
It’s about more than fashion—it’s about the people designing with purpose, the communities that care, and the joy that comes from choosing creativity with intention.
Our work goes beyond events. For ZDHC’s 10th anniversary gala, BLACK PEARL spotlighted the massive environmental toll of textile dyes and introduced creative alternatives that prove fashion can captivate without harming the planet. (Textile dyeing causes 20% of global industrial water pollution—impacting rivers, ecosystems, and communities.) Partnering with the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and its students, we showcased circular design solutions where style and sustainability thrive together.
We also create space for cultural conversations. At Atelier Jolie, we hosted Rooted in Identity: Culture, Sustainability, and Style from Africa & Beyond, featuring designers Chuks Collins and Thulani Ngazimbi during their residency with Ozwald Boateng. The discussion celebrated resilience, identity, and purpose—while sharing practical strategies for weaving sustainability into creative work. Afterward, the community stayed to connect over food from Eat Offbeat, a reminder that culture and sustainability flourish through shared experiences.
Music and storytelling amplify this work. Earlier this year, BLACK PEARL participated in workshops with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, talking to film directors, producers and industry leaders about how culture shapes storytelling. Drawing from Indigenous Environmental Stewardship and global traditions, we looked at how stories hold ecological wisdom—from Native American tales like White Buffalo Calf Woman, to Japanese Shinto legends like Princess Mononoke, to African narratives of resilience. Asian and Latin American traditions—Shinto, Hindu, Mayan, Amazonian—also remind us that our bond with the Earth is both spiritual and practical.
Indigenous knowledge holds staggering environmental wisdom. Lands under Indigenous stewardship retain up to 80% more biodiversity than other protected areas. In many communities, more than 90% of ecological knowledge is passed down orally, preserving practices that science is only just beginning to validate. These communities remind us that sustainability isn’t just a policy or checklist—it’s a conversation that continues from one generation to the next, and it's a way of life rooted in respect, giving back, and connection.
When we weave Indigenous, African, Asian, Latinx American, and modern environmental narratives into films, music, and cultural programming, sustainability becomes something you can feel and relate to—not a mandate, but a story we share and live together.
Fashion, music, and entertainment aren’t just products we consume. They’re mirrors of who we are, and maps of who we could become, or would like to. So, if every choice—what we wear, watch, or listen to—can either celebrate the planet or harm it, how can we make those decisions easier, clearer or simply recognise the choices already being made? And how do we power those choices not through guilt, but through connection, beauty, and belonging.
True sustainability is rooted in culture. It honors traditions, experiences, and diverse perspectives, while making sure both communities and ecosystems thrive. It’s not one-size-fits-all so we must meet people where they are, build on what already sustains them.
When fashion, music, and entertainment align with creativity, purpose, and joy, culture becomes not just the heartbeat of sustainability—it becomes its voice, rhythm, and promise. And it’s fun. Sustainability doesn’t come from giving up beauty, innovation, or identity—it comes from letting those things lead us toward better choices.
The urgency is real: 2024 was the hottest year on record. Temperatures rose 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. Oceans are warming faster than ever, driving coral bleaching and accelerating sea-level rise—now nearly 5 mm a year. Glaciers are disappearing at record speed, and Arctic sea ice has shrunk to near-historic lows.
The human cost is staggering. In just the past year, climate-driven floods forced millions from their homes in Brazil, Central, and West Africa. Record-breaking wildfires tore through Canada and Bolivia. Across the globe, people endured an extra 41 days of extreme heat. And it’s not just people—wildlife populations have crashed by 73% in the last fifty years, while coral reefs face mass die-offs.
The planet is changing—and so must we. But lasting change won’t come from guilt.
That’s why at BLACK PEARL, we make culture and these issues inseparable. We curate exhibitions with circular design, produce zero-waste fashion experiences, and host events powered by recycled and regenerative materials. We collaborate with artists to reimagine design, create spaces that celebrate repair and reuse, and tell stories that make action part of everyday culture.
For us, this isn’t a side project—it’s the future of culture itself.
Because culture doesn’t just reflect our world—it reshapes it. It guides how we act, connects generations, and carries forward what matters most. Sustainability isn’t a temporary challenge—it’s something we build over time. And culture? That’s what makes the effort real, human, and built to last.
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