Sustainability in the time of social media. Interview with Alan Cappelli Goetz

Sustainability is not a trend, it is a lifestyle that must be embraced but also communicated authentically.

At a time of transition in which digitalization is transforming our lives and habits, it is important to identify new channels and effective communication strategies to raise people’s awareness of sustainability.

Who is Alan Cappelli Goetz?

Alan Cappelli Goetz, an actor of Belgian origin and Italian by adoption, is one of the most famous faces on the Italian film scene. However, his presence on screens does not end here.

In this interview, Alan tells us about his commitment as a promoter of sustainability on social media, where he shares a sustainable lifestyle through important projects and collaborations.

A face of reference for filmmakers but also for many young people, who spend more and more time informing themselves on social media such as Instagram, encouraging disseminators like Alan to create valuable content.

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You’re here today as a sustainability communicator, but you became famous as an actor. How did your story begin?

I grew up in Rimini and attended an experimental school where I also studied art, music, and cinema. After high school, I moved to Rome where I was selected by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, where I began to study to become an actor. In 2009 I was discovered by the director Muccino, who wanted me in his Tim commercial developed over several episodes and very acted. I then entered immediately into the television scene covering important roles.

When did you approach the world of sustainability?

Absurdly enough, I didn’t work my way up at the beginning of my career, but later, when I was between 25 and 27, I found myself working less and having more time for myself.

I took this opportunity to pursue other passions including sustainability. I moved into a house with a large terrace, and get close to the world of plants because I initially needed to decorate my balcony. Nature showed up at my door and I welcomed it, putting the world of show business on hold.

I began to learn and appreciate the rhythms of nature, its magic, and mystery. I realized how important it was to respect it and give back the love that our planet gives us every day.

Alan Cappelli Goetz

After watching several documentaries, I also became a vegan. Not being on set was a great blessing to be able to spend more time and rediscover my passions such as sustainability.

How do you see the future of sustainable communication?

Any company that doesn’t go in this direction will be out of the game.

It’s important to distinguish those who are doing sustainability from those who are greenwashing.

However, it’s necessary to reward and promote even the first steps. It is unthinkable in a complex system like ours to implement a radical change, even if it would be necessary.

Today there is not a global warming problem, there is a real climate emergency that should be treated as such. It is essential to accelerate practices for sustainable development, but I think it is also necessary to recognize companies that are moving in small steps.

Those who start from a simple capsule collection are contributing to the change of the system, production, and consumer habits as well.

The market has an important role in implementing sustainability practices in production processes and can influence the consumer, directing him towards new sustainable products.

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As a sustainability communicator, what do you do to promote the topic and raise awareness among your followers?

In my case, pandemic has been the bearer of great fortune it gave me the courage to start a format on Instagram that I called “Alanalisi”, in which I personally analyzed certain issues related to sustainability.

I started with a provocative video about the “Fridays for Future” movement, followed by in-depth looks at plastics and other important topics. Shortly after, my friend Marco Cartasegna launched Torcha: a platform to fight fake news and promote good information to Millennials and Gen Z on Social Media, appointing me as head of the column dedicated to the environment and sustainability.

At the moment, I am making in-depth videos and analyses on Torcha; on my profile, I keep reminding people of the importance of animal welfare, nature, and sustainable nutrition through stories and very spontaneous content. I also started a collaboration with Franco Berrino, an enlightened Italian and founder of “La Grande Via”: an association aimed at stimulating the search for an awareness that leads to wellness through contact with nature, meditation, and a series of outdoor experiences.

Sustainability also means enhancing the territory. You have recently announced a collaboration with WWF and a series of activities to rediscover Italy’s cultural and environmental heritage. What is it all about?

I am spending the next days at the WWF Oasis of Policoro to release the turtles that have been rescued by volunteers. In addition to witnessing the hatching of eggs, I will visit some of the WWF Oasis; these wonderful places deserve to be visited and supported to rediscover the unspoiled nature that our country can offer.

The contact with nature is also the first step to respect it, to love it, to find the strength to adopt a more conscious and responsible lifestyle, more sustainable. Often, to achieve this, it is necessary to be immersed in nature, leaving the most chaotic urban environment.

Then there will be many other appointments during the year, including episodes of “Get Out”: a series that I created just for my Instagram channel, a sort of journey into the beauty of nature and the history of our country. It is important to relaunch Italian tourism: we have so many places, villages, and cities to visit with breathtaking landscapes. I’m trying to bring nature into the digital world to raise awareness in the community and to enhance the territory that surrounds us.

In order to spread sustainability, you have to make a life choice, changing some habits. What are the first steps to take in everyday life?

In my opinion, the simplest thing is to start from the gesture that we do most often, but which has one of the greatest impacts on the environment, namely food.

I find it absurd that there isn’t a subject at school to educate young people on this issue, which is fundamental for the environment but also our health.

We are lucky enough to live in a country where food has a very strong cultural component. It is important to get used to new flavors, more sustainable but just as tasty. When consuming, it is necessary to check the origin of the products to be purchased, as well as the integrity of the supply chain.

It is important to communicate the problems linked to the consumption of certain foods, inviting people to pay more attention. I think it is fair that some categories of high-quality products cost more.

Everyone’s goal is to eat well and stay healthy, reducing environmental impact and consuming controlled products, even if they are of animal origin.

A natural cycle of things, making choices where wallet and taste are not the only requirements when choosing products. The consumption of food is responsible for 30% of emissions. Food waste is also a habit to be fought through greater attention and awareness. As far as fashion is concerned, there is now the possibility of reducing one’s environmental impact by relying on certain brands that produce more responsibly.

It is also a matter of philosophy, “less is more” is the new paradigm to follow.

In addition to avoiding buying the superfluous, it is also important to give a second life to used clothes by repairing, reselling, or renting them.
Sustainability also means living remembering that everything you touch and consume has a cost, and impact, it is not free. It’s not easy, but there are more and more possibilities, products, and business models that are innovative and sustainable.

When you know the true cost of things you respect them a lot more.
Gratitude helps to achieve serenity, move closer to respecting things and life. The more grateful we are when we consume responsibly, the better off we are. Having a lot easily and cheaply means a devaluation of life and the whole system.