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 strategies * The communication challenge of sustainable transformation * How to translate sustainability topics into a language that resonates with leadership teams * The importance of aligning sustainability mission with business goals * The role of measurable KPIs and remuneration in giving sustainability some 'teeth' in decision-making * Carbon budgeting to change perceptions across teams or departments * Internal carbon pricing to bring the cost of emissions into the forefront of decision-making * Overcoming internal stakeholder resistance and achieving buy-in * Advice for sustainability professionals on resilience and persistence Resources Mentioned: * Goal 13 Impact Platform [https://www.deloitte.com/an/en/services/consulting/perspectives/goal-13-impact-platform.html] * David Attenborough's 'Communications Challenge' post on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/davidattenborough/reel/CHAIm2sHSQZ/] * Deloitte Business Chemistry Framework [https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/operations/solutions/business-chemistry.html] * Balanced Scorecard Framework [https://balancedscorecard.org/bsc-basics-overview/] * 'Zero in on... Internal carbon pricing' - article by Deloitte [https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/issues/climate/internal-carbon-pricing.html] * AimHi Earth [https://aimhi.earth] Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://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 today * Reconnecting people to the water cycle and water ecosystems * The link between the long-term viability of a business, and the long-term wellbeing of the natural environment and local communities * What does it mean to be a purpose-led business? * How to make decisions based on a broader range of value than just efficiency & cost * The spectrum of Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace * How no work on sustainability is ever wasted! Resources Mentioned: Anglian Water Group [https://www.awg.com/] https://www.awg.com/%EF%BF%BCUKUK facing food shortages and price rises after extreme weather [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/16/uk-facing-food-shortages-and-price-rises-after-extreme-weather] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/16/uk-facing-food-shortages-and-price-rises-after-extreme-weather%EF%BF%BCTaskforceTaskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD) [https://tnfd.global/] https://tnfd.global/%EF%BF%BCTaskTask Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) [https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/] https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/%EF%BF%BCBiodiversityBiodiversity Net Gain [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/biodiversity-net-gain] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/biodiversity-net-gain%EF%BF%BCAnglianAnglian Water 6 Capitals Framework [https://www.awg.com/siteassets/reports/sustainability-finance-framework-2024.pdf] https://www.awg.com/siteassets/reports/sustainability-finance-framework-2024.pdf%EF%BF%BCAnglianAnglian Water Biodiversity Strategy [https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/SysSiteAssets/household/in-the-community/anglian-water-biodiversity-strategy.pdf] Rutland Water Nature Reserve [https://www.lrwt.org.uk/rutland-water] https://www.lrwt.org.uk/rutland-water%EF%BF%BCStangroundStanground Newt Ponds [https://www.wildlifebcn.org/nature-reserves/stanground-newt-ponds] https://www.wildlifebcn.org/nature-reserves/stanground-newt-ponds%EF%BF%BCMind'sMind's resources on mental health in the workplace [https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/] https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/%EF%BF%BCMentalMental Health UK: "What is 'climate anxiety', and what can you do about it?" [https://mentalhealth-uk.org/blog/what-is-climate-anxiety-and-what-can-you-do-about-it/] Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://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 change * The need for practitioners to change the way that they engage with their leadership across the organisation to enable them to be more impactful * Short termism - and the need for 20 - 30 year planning as investors, businesses and communities * Leadership legacy - Emotive and creative approaches to challenging conversations with executive leadership teams * How to support others to be futuristic and embrace uncertainty by backing up the business case for systemic change * The critical importance of negotiation skills for any sustainability professional's influencing toolkit - and how to develop these * Commercialising the Science and building trust via authenticity, consistency, flexibility * Good questions to have in a sustainability professional's toolkit - "why?" and "what if?" Resources Mentioned: The Holm Edit [https://theholmedit.com/] Case study on Patagonia [https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/patagonia-shows-how-turning-a-profit-doesnt-have-to-cost-the-earth], 'Patagonia shows how turning a profit doesn't have to cost the Earth' - https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/patagonia-shows-how-turning-a-profit-doesnt-have-to-cost-the-earth%EF%BF%BCAlAl Gore: An Inconvenient Truth [https://algore.com/library/an-inconvenient-truth] https://algore.com/library/an-inconvenient-truth%EF%BF%BCTheThe Great Schlep [https://droga5.com/work/the-great-schlep/] https://droga5.com/work/the-great-schlep/%EF%BF%BCCourseraCoursera e-learning on Negotiation Skills [https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=negotiation] https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=negotiation%EF%BF%BCHarvardHarvard Business Review online course, 'Negotiation Mastery' [https://pll.harvard.edu/course/negotiation-mastery] https://pll.harvard.edu/course/negotiation-mastery%EF%BF%BCJFranklin Styers Nursery (now Terrain at Styers) [https://www.shopterrain.com/glen-mills] https://www.shopterrain.com/glen-mills%EF%BF%BC2degrees2degrees Business Services case study with Tesco [https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/2degrees-tesco-case-study/7978216#1] https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/2degrees-tesco-case-study/7978216#1%EF%BF%BCRobRob Hopkins: From What Is to What If (book) [https://www.robhopkins.net/the-book/] https://www.robhopkins.net/the-book/%EF%BF%BCRobRob Hopkins: From What If to What Next (podcast) [https://www.robhopkins.net/podcast/] AimHi Earth [https://www.aimhi.earth/] Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://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 firm * specific examples of decisions where sustainability can and should be an influencing factor * what sort of questions should be asked when making spending decisions in a corporate setting * the organisational challenge of working out where sustainability fits within a wider business structure * advice for sustainability professionals on demonstrating ROI of ESG initiatives * the assumption that sustainability and ESG initiatives will always cost more than the alternative Resources Mentioned: Mills & Reeve LLP [https://www.mills-reeve.com/] https://www.mills-reeve.com/%EF%BF%BCLivingLiving Wage Foundation [https://www.livingwage.org.uk/] https://www.livingwage.org.uk/%EF%BF%BCSocialSocial Investment Tax Relief [https://getsitr.org.uk/] (no longer available) Worthstone [https://worthstone.co.uk/]UN Global Compact report 'Who Cares Wins' [https://www.unepfi.org/fileadmin/events/2004/stocks/who_cares_wins_global_compact_2004.pdf] (when the term ESG was coined) https://www.unepfi.org/fileadmin/events/2004/stocks/who_cares_wins_global_compact_2004.pdf%EF%BF%BCAtomicAtomic Habits [https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits] - James Clear https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits%EF%BF%BCGreenerGreener Litigation Pledge [https://greenerlitigation.org/] https://greenerlitigation.org/%EF%BF%BCDoomDoom and gloom doesn't work! [https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/cr5at] 'Addressing Climate Change with Behavioural Science: A Global Intervention Tournament in 63 Countries' https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/cr5at%EF%BF%BCDeloitteDeloitte study [https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/climate/earning-trust-with-investors-through-better-sustainability-data.html]- 'How can the enterprise earn investor trust through sustainability disclosures?': https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/climate/earning-trust-with-investors-through-better-sustainability-data.html%EF%BF%BCAimHiAimHi Earth [https://aimhi.earth] - Live and Online Sustainability Training for companies Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://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 community * The pressures of being in a sustainability team of one while hoping to use your organisation to be a force for good * Tactics to gain perspectives from as many other departments as possible * The surprising outcomes of tapping into employees' inner eco-warriors in a voluntary sustainability champions network * About the importance of keeping it simple and making it as efficient as possible Resources Mentioned: Bamford Collection [https://www.bamford.com/] https://www.bamford.com/%EF%BF%BCDaylesfordDaylesford Organic [https://www.daylesford.com/] B-Labs [https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/programs-and-tools/b-impact-assessment/] - B-Corp Assessment Tool https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/programs-and-tools/b-impact-assessment/%EF%BF%BCBB Local Oxfordshire [https://bcorporation.uk/for-b-corps/#blocals] (and others) https://bcorporation.uk/for-b-corps/#blocals%EF%BF%BCAimHiAimHi Earth [https://aimhi.earth] Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.