Aiming High

n this episode, Sarah Humphrys speaks with Josh Brown, Senior Manager at Deloitte’s Sustainability and Climate team, about overcoming challenges in engaging leadership on sustainability. They discuss how businesses can integrate sustainability into decision-making, with a particular focus on internal carbon pricing and budgeting to drive decarbonisation initiatives.Discussing:The challenge of getting C-suite or executive teams on board with sustainability strategiesThe communication challenge of sustainable transformationHow to translate sustainability topics into a language that resonates with leadership teamsThe importance of aligning sustainability mission with business goalsThe role of measurable KPIs and remuneration in giving sustainability some 'teeth' in decision-makingCarbon budgeting to change perceptions across teams or departmentsInternal carbon pricing to bring the cost of emissions into the forefront of decision-makingOvercoming internal stakeholder resistance and achieving buy-inAdvice for sustainability professionals on resilience and persistenceResources Mentioned:Goal 13 Impact PlatformDavid Attenborough's 'Communications Challenge' post on InstagramDeloitte Business Chemistry FrameworkBalanced Scorecard Framework'Zero in on... Internal carbon pricing' - article by DeloitteAimHi EarthHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Sarah Humphrys speaks to Andy Brown about instilling nature as a stakeholder within businesses and about emotional resilience and mental wellbeing in the sustainability sector.Discussing:The real impacts of climate change that are occurring todayReconnecting people to the water cycle and water ecosystemsThe link between the long-term viability of a business, and the long-term wellbeing of the natural environment and local communitiesWhat does it mean to be a purpose-led business?How to make decisions based on a broader range of value than just efficiency & costThe spectrum of Mental health and wellbeing in the workplaceHow no work on sustainability is ever wasted!Resources Mentioned:Anglian Water GroupUK facing food shortages and price rises after extreme weatherTaskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD)Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)Biodiversity Net GainAnglian Water 6 Capitals FrameworkAnglian Water Biodiversity StrategyRutland Water Nature ReserveStanground Newt PondsMind's resources on mental health in the workplaceMental Health UK: "What is 'climate anxiety', and what can you do about it?"Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Sarah Humphrys speaks to Courtney Holm about shifting mindsets and rethinking our role as sustainability professionals as negotiators, influencers and sales people for a sustainable future.Discussing:How to support companies to move beyond reporting towards actually implementing impactful changeThe need for practitioners to change the way that they engage with their leadership across the organisation to enable them to be more impactfulShort termism - and the need for 20 - 30 year planning as investors, businesses and communitiesLeadership legacy - Emotive and creative approaches to challenging conversations with executive leadership teamsHow to support others to be futuristic and embrace uncertainty by backing up the business case for systemic changeThe critical importance of negotiation skills for any sustainability professional's influencing toolkit - and how to develop theseCommercialising the Science and building trust via authenticity, consistency, flexibilityGood questions to have in a sustainability professional's toolkit - "why?" and "what if?"Resources Mentioned:The Holm EditCase study on Patagonia, 'Patagonia shows how turning a profit doesn't have to cost the Earth' - Al Gore: An Inconvenient TruthThe Great Schlep Coursera e-learning on Negotiation SkillsHarvard Business Review online course, 'Negotiation Mastery' Franklin Styers Nursery (now Terrain at Styers)2degrees Business Services case study with TescoRob Hopkins: From What Is to What If (book) Rob Hopkins: From What If to What Next (podcast)AimHi EarthHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Sarah Humphrys speaks to Neil Pearson about integrating sustainability and ESG into decision-making process internally.Discussing:the challenge of how to ensure sustainability becomes a fundamental consideration for all departments across the firmspecific examples of decisions where sustainability can and should be an influencing factorwhat sort of questions should be asked when making spending decisions in a corporate settingthe organisational challenge of working out where sustainability fits within a wider business structureadvice for sustainability professionals on demonstrating ROI of ESG initiativesthe assumption that sustainability and ESG initiatives will always cost more than the alternativeResources Mentioned:Mills & Reeve LLPLiving Wage FoundationSocial Investment Tax Relief (no longer available)WorthstoneUN Global Compact report 'Who Cares Wins' (when the term ESG was coined) Atomic Habits - James ClearGreener Litigation PledgeDoom and gloom doesn't work! 'Addressing Climate Change with Behavioural Science: A Global Intervention Tournament in 63 Countries'Deloitte study- 'How can the enterprise earn investor trust through sustainability disclosures?': AimHi Earth - Live and Online Sustainability Training for companiesHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Discussing:The journey to achieving B-Corp certification for a group of businesses - and the benefits of joining the B-Corp communityThe pressures of being in a sustainability team of one while hoping to use your organisation to be a force for goodTactics to gain perspectives from as many other departments as possibleThe surprising outcomes of tapping into employees' inner eco-warriors in a voluntary sustainability champions networkAbout the importance of keeping it simple and making it as efficient as possibleResources Mentioned:Bamford CollectionDaylesford Organic B-Labs - B-Corp Assessment ToolB Local Oxfordshire (and others)AimHi Earth Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Sarah Humphrys speaks to Louise Burn and Daisy Thompson to learn about Nestle's employee-led grassroots initiative, 'One World'.Focusing on this grass roots movement, they cover how colleagues can create opportunities to educate, inspire and empower each other while exploring:What can passionate individuals from outside of a sustainability department do, if they want to get involved with combatting the climate and nature crisis in their day job?How can employees from within an organisation act as critical friends to the company, posing friendly and constructive challenges to promote progress?How can sustainability professionals start a grassroots engagement initiative like this and how can you measure positive impact? What on earth is a reverse mentoring scheme? How does it work?How can sustainability and ESG be formalised as part of everyone's job across functions?How to take a 'first pancake' approach at work, at home, when it comes to taking action?Resources Mentioned:Carl Pratt - Future Planet NetworkBBC - Save Our Wild Isles Clover Hogan - Force of NatureKite Insights - Every Job is a climate job:AimHi Earth - Live and Online Sustainability Training for companiesHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.