Christine Sobieski’s Post

Today marks my five-year work anniversary! I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate than with our second The Digital Distillery in Madrid “The Sky Edition” tomorrow. We’ll be discussing crucial topics like sustainability and attention metrics with over 10 amazing speakers. Join us! 🚀🚀 #TheDigitalDistillery #Sustainability #AttentionMetrics #ShowHeroesGroup #ProductMarketing

This week marks a year since I launched Final Third… and what a year it’s been! With a mortgage and two kids, some people fairly questioned my decision to dive headfirst into a new business venture full-time. But I believed the sports industry needed more support to progress on sustainability, a vital topic that we all need to focus more on, and I’m delighted I took that decision to launch Final Third. A huge thank you to every single person I’ve worked with over this last 12 months, and everyone who has supported our work in any way. Reflecting on 12 months of work has been inspiring, and I’ve no idea how I’ve managed to fit it all in… In year one, we’ve: - Delivered staff education workshops for EFL (English Football League), Arsenal F.C, West Bromwich Albion Football Club, Wolves Foundation, Watford FC's Community Sports & Education Trust, Birmingham City FC Community Trust, Northampton Town FC Community Trust, Sporting Group International, Sporting Jobs, Rapid Charge, SGI Sports Management - Delivered The Carbon Literacy Project training to learners from 4 different countries - Led the club and CCO outreach for Green Football Weekend engaging over 100 football clubs, and designed the schools toolkit for the campaign’s education outreach - Delivered on the brilliant 'Cobblers Tackle Food Waste' initiative with Northampton Town FC Community Trust, funded by Eat It Up from Hubbub with support from the Starbucks 5p cup charge - Helped Manchester United Foundation with the launch of their Eco Reds initiative, with more support to follow soon - Partnered with Sporting Group International to help drive their sustainability credentials forward internally and externally whilst educating their global team, aiming to become the leading sports sponsorship agency globally in the sustainability space - Worked with Football for Forests on their launch in the UK - Supported Planet League on their brilliant Arsenal F.C x Ball Corporation activation through staff education - Spoke at events for Novo-K Procurement Solutions at Stamford Bridge and the Emirates and for Living Sport to a group of international sports management students visiting the UK from the US - Worked with Dan Freedman to launch a Key Stage 2 schools intervention bringing the Carnegie Medal nominated novel, ‘I Am Lenny Brown’ to life, soon to be delivered across schools all over the country by more than 6 CCOs ...And not to mention completing my MBA studies on the side! We’ve got some exciting projects already lined up for year 2, and I can’t wait to continue to make an impact with some fantastic people and organisations across the sports sector. Want to know what support we can bring to your sports club, organisation or charity? Reach out today at [email protected] - I'm always keen to chat!

The recent VFI article on sustainability in pubs came at an especially relevant time for me, as I was delivering the 10-week online course, “Skills to Advance: Environmental Sustainability in the Workplace” (Special Purpose Award, Level 5) for ETB Tipperary. My students, from a range of businesses—both semi-state and private—examined various sustainability challenges and practical solutions currently faced in their industries. Their efforts concluded in developing Personal Environmental Action Plans and completing Workplace Environmental Reports, focusing on actionable steps tailored to their sectors. Key topics we covered included: - Climate change and its impact - Biodiversity preservation - Reducing energy and water usage - Minimising food and packaging waste (e.g., through segregation at source) - Sourcing local and sustainable products Business-specific applications were central to the course. For example, students completed a project on food waste reduction in their canteens, to improve waste management efficiency. They also explored strategies for energy savings, reducing water consumption, and minimising packaging waste, all of which have a direct impact on multiple industries. These practical solutions not only address pressing environmental concerns but also lead to cost savings and improvements in operational efficiency across various lines of business. This is a great opportunity for anyone in hospitality to enhance environmental sustainability in the workplace while having the opportunity to achieve cost savings. If you’re interested in learning more or exploring similar solutions for your business, please don’t hesitate to contact me! #Hospitality #Restaurant #Sustainability #Enviroment #ETBTipperary #VFI

Celebrating 14 Years of Ecozen: A Journey Rooted in Innovation and Humility On October 20th, we celebrated Ecozen Day, marking 14 incredible years since the company was officially founded. But during the event, I discovered something special—Ecozen’s story began even earlier. Our founders, Devendra Gupta , Prateek Singhal , and Vivek Pandey , were not just colleagues but batchmates from #IIT #Kharagpur. A few moments from the event really highlighted why Ecozen is such a unique organization: 1. Founders Leading by Example I've often heard people talk about how down-to-earth our founders are, but I truly realized this firsthand at the event. When the hotel management forgot to provide dustbins in the lawn area, the founders themselves took initiative. Without hesitation, they gathered cartons to collect the scattered water bottles. This small but significant gesture demonstrated their humility and commitment to taking responsibility—no matter how big or small the task. 2. Storytelling with Authenticity I knew that our founders were college friends, but during the event, I felt it. The way they shared the origin story of Ecozen, complete with personal struggles and triumphs, was incredibly authentic. It made me feel like I’ve been part of this journey from the very beginning. Their openness made us all feel connected to the company's roots. 3. An Open Platform for Ideas While the event was packed with fun, what struck me most was how often the founders asked for feedback. They encouraged everyone to share ideas—whether it was about forming hobby clubs or how the company could better support personal interests. This culture of openness and collaboration is what makes Ecozen more than just a workplace; it's a community. 4. Gratitude for Every Contributor One of the most touching moments was when the founders personally thanked everyone who has supported Ecozen over the past 14 years. I could see the emotions running high as they acknowledged the individuals who have been part of this journey. It was a heartfelt reminder to never forget those who stand by you in times of growth. --- I feel truly privileged to be part of an organization that values humility, authenticity, and collaboration at every level. 🌱 #EcozenDay #CompanyCulture #Leadership #Innovation #Sustainability #14YearsOfEcozen

A step forward in our sustainability journey at Savic🌍🎓   Last week marked a proud moment for our team at Savic Nv as our colleague Nicolas Polfliet successfully graduated with a degree in Sustainability Management from Vlerick Business School. This milestone underscores our company's commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations.   Nicolas's achievements help pave the way for impactful changes in how we manage environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. We're excited to apply these insights to our sustainability framework and enhance our operations.   How does your organisation approach sustainability management? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!   #sustainability #businessinnovation #leadership #greeninitiative #ESGIntegration #sustainablefuture #vlerick

🌍 Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Sustainability in Drinks event, and what a fantastic experience it was! 🍷 From insightful panels to engaging discussions, it’s clear that the drinks industry is stepping up its efforts in the race towards a sustainable future 🌱. For me, two key takeaways stood out: 1️⃣ Measurement matters 📊: Wineries and drinks companies need to start tracking their environmental impact, especially their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. If we don’t measure, we can’t manage! With the right data, these companies can make informed decisions and take significant steps toward reducing their carbon footprint. 2️⃣ B Corp Certification ✅: Becoming a B Corp is a powerful way to showcase a company’s sustainability commitment, boost team morale, and even enhance sales! It’s not just about doing good; it’s about thriving as a business while doing good. Beyond these points, the event emphasized the importance of regenerative agriculture 🌳 and sustainable packaging for businesses looking to stay competitive while making a real impact. 👉 If you need help with GHG accounting, B Corp certification, or other sustainability advisory solutions, feel free to get in touch! I’d love to help you drive meaningful change. A big thank you to Anne Jones and the Sustainability in Drinks team for an amazing inaugural event. And to my colleague Dafni Anastasiadi for showing me the ropes just two weeks into the job! 👇 About Me 👇 I’m Sophie 🙋🏼♀️. After 2 years growing a sustainable product brand and 8 years in corporate sustainability and CSR, I’m on a mission to promote a low carbon future 💪🏼 and I’ve found a great B Corp to do this through 🤩. Follow me for sustainability updates, entrepreneurial reflections, and random life lessons 💞

Some reflections from the week: 1. Advice from a dear friend: Say this and repeat it: "If I don't change in the next 48 hours, then it is likely I would not change." Breakdown your the good habits you want to adopt into 2 day pieces, so that you can work on them part by part, in two day intervals. That sounds workable, right? 2. An impactful Impacto Day: attended Impacto's 8th anniversary as this interesting spot in KL, Godown KL. Loved meeting the vendors: yummy plant based foods from Veg-Hub, the community developers at Women at Will, the yummilicious coconut based ice cream from Kelava, the tasty sate sambal from Ot Sa Te and many more; learning of the sustainability tool and platform: Zenro; loved the new discussion format: debates and q&a with the audience, forcing engagement with the audience, being open and honest. I noticed that we need to have more discussions that are less jargon and more real. This means in a much plainer language. Not to simplify but to be effective. Communication for action. Other things addressed were: group therapy where sustainability experts meet at a sustainability event looking for answers for their sustainability woes, importance of language and using it correctly to enable action. Now, are we trying to stop climate change or just at best mitigate what we can? The answer I got was that if we could just survive the next few years, for one's self, one's family, that would be great. An interesting and important consideration. Many thanks to the organisers. Well done. 3. Race to zero - I just had to take this on. The race to carbon or net zero is not a finish line, unfortunately. It is merely a station to reach, assess our situation, and then carry on with the efforts. Using the term race might paint a different picture in people's minds. When we watch a race, the runners will use all their energy and strategy to reach the finish line as fast as they can. The one who reaches it first wins the race. After that the race is finished. What we usually see after that is that runners are on the ground or looking all spent. If we treat achieving our net zero goals in this way, we might be spent by the year we were racing to. Or, even before that. Just like runners in a race. Some are spent even before reaching the finish line. Maybe we should use a different way to describe our journey to a sustainable future. I am reminded of the parable of the tortoise and the hare. Those like the hare, might spend themselves before reaching the end of the race, forget the purpose of the race and take profit by resting for a while. Those who are like the tortoise, even though weaker physically, are in it for the long game. They trudge on with purpose. Thus, maybe approaching the challenge to sustainability needs a consistent approach, one that consistent leads towards a better and fair future. #sustainability #smallbutconsistent #reflections #impactoday2024

“Welcome to the Age of Cheap Crap” 🤯 Mercedes Bustos and I recently connected on LinkedIn out of a mutual interest in sustainability, and #textilewaste. After brief introductions, we began chatting about Patagonia (this may be a common theme among sustainability enthusiasts 😜 ), during which Mercedes introduced me to film The Shitthropocene: Welcome to the Age of Cheap Crap. Obviously, I was beyond excited to watch. (If we recently connected, you may not yet know that I have a thing or two to say about #consumerism…) Here’s why I thought The Shitthropocene was able to communicate an important statement in a powerful way: 1️⃣ Patagonia addresses the issue of consumerism in a fresh manner; they keep their language casual, comedic and sarcastic (a completely fresh voice in this space of documentaries) 2️⃣ They highlight action rather than focusing solely on the destruction resulting in concerning global issues 3️⃣ They keep it personal by shining the light on themselves and their employees → Here are real people taking steps towards a problem of incomprehensible scale by taking responsibility. It is possible.  These mechanisms made the film engaging, entertaining, informative and relatable. Which means people will watch it (let’s be honest, no one, no matter how passionate, truly wants to watch doom gloom documentaries all day long) and not only remember it, but recall the experience as a positive one. Why is this important? Well, how often do you think about the things that make you unhappy? How often do you voluntarily recall negative memories? Exactly. We are not going to inspire change by deploying fear factors or shaming mechanisms. Although global sustainability issues are no joke, a fresh perspective can help consumers view an old problem in a new way. Well done Patagonia. #leadership #climateaction

I'm super excited to share this news! Stickerbook (By Obliquity) has teamed up with Small99's People Planet Pint™ to offer a 4-month FREE trial of our platform, open to everyone passionate about making a positive impact. Through this trial, you'll experience CPD-certified learning that's designed to fit into real life - engaging 3-5 minute content packed with practical steps and insights to help you create meaningful change. From eco-conscious strategies to real-world actions, each module equips you to make an impact without overwhelming your day. This isn't just learning: it's a journey to sustainable change alongside a community that cares. Sign up below! #Sustainability #GreenSkills #ClimateAction #ImpactThroughCollaboration #PeoplePlanetPint

Gold! 🥇🙌 We are thrilled to announce: Körber has undergone an EcoVadis assessment for the second time as a group and has been awarded a Gold medal. In this year's EcoVadis sustainability rating, we once again achieved an outstanding 78 out of 100 points and thus received Gold status in recognition of our sustainability performance. This puts Körber in the top 5 percent of assessed companies worldwide! The strong rating demonstrates our serious commitment to sustainability and is “proof of the hard work of our entire team,” says Erich Hoch, Member of the Executive Board at Körber. Find out more in our press release: 🌿 https://okt.to/ZOI20b #Strongertogether #sustainability! #wearekörber #homeforentrepreneurs #ecovadis ___ Discover more about our sustainability initiatives in our digital Sustainability Report. Link in the comments.