Categories Quote by Rem Koolhaas
“But now sustainability is such a political category that it's getting more and more difficult to think about it in a serious way. Sustainability has become an ornament.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on sustainability, 2015
Sustainability is treated as a political label, undermining serious discussion and action.
In simple terms: Politics has turned sustainability into a trend.
Key Takeaway
Treat sustainability as a concrete practice, not a buzzword.
Themes
politics
environment
culture
media
policy
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
analytical
commentary
When to use this quote
- corporate strategy
- environmental activism
- policy making
- public communication
Key Concepts
greenwashing
symbolic gestures
public discourse
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we move beyond labels to measurable change?
- What incentives would prioritize genuine sustainability?
A Different Perspective
The label can obscure real environmental impact.
![“Everyone is talking about sustainability and resilience, yet all that knowledge is thrown in the bin. [Lagos is] a unique case, but also a test case. It's unbelievably unique, but also it's now considered with a number of really generic opinions, generic solution, generic expectations.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a9a/rem-koolhaas-5371_cases_everyone-is-talking-about-sustainability_2070841.jpg)
![“That has been another interesting discovery: that basically a city [Lagos] could recover from a really deep, deep, deep pit.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/61e/rem-koolhaas-5371_cities_that-has-been-another-interesting-discov_15915.jpg)
![“The beauty of my profession [architecture] lies in its randomness and surprise. And don't think I can choose my projects. I have to build what's offered to me.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/712/rem-koolhaas-5371_architecture_the-beauty-of-my-profession-architecture_97486.jpg)
![“Nigeria [in 1990] was all rumour, an unbelievable amount of rumour - largely about crime and almost mythical manifestations of evil.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/72f/rem-koolhaas-5371_amount_nigeria-in-1990-was-all-rumour-an-unbeli_125862.jpg)
![“I don't think in national categories. For me it [policy] is about concepts and substance.” quote by Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/911/jean-claude-juncker-3277_categories_i-don-t-think-in-national-categories-for_14194.jpg)
![“I read so ravenously that I would read through whole categories. I was crazy about reading biographies. [...] I think biographies are very urgent to children.” quote by Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a53/joan-didion-497_biographies_i-read-so-ravenously-that-i-would-read-t_43631.jpg)
