Joel Makower’s Post

96% of young workers want their employers to do more about sustainability! Check out this Fast Company article featuring Aquent's VP of Sustainability, Jody Mousseau, for insights on how companies can make a real impact. See comments for link to Article. #Sustainability #FutureOfWork #ClimateAction

Self-reflection here, and I hope some will read this in its entirety. I have been thinking a lot since the US election. The result is not what I had hoped for, but I think this is the moment for critical, honest reflection. In my humble opinion, the question to ask is not why people voted for the Republicans, but why they did not vote for the Democrats. This brings me to my academic and personal context: sustainability in fashion. It is time to ask a similar question. Despite years of conversations, events, lectures, documentaries, articles and so on, it is time to accept that things are not working. Sustainability has been reduced to an accounting tool; big brands and influential industry players are promoting empty solutions to legitimise overproduction and encourage overconsumption. While many of us, including academics, activists and so on, have tried to explain how and to what extent this business model is broken, leading to ecological collapse and widening social inequalities, it is time to look in the mirror and accept that everyday people are not listening. The question, then, is how we - sustainability advocates - can start listening to everyday people to make this language more understandable and inclusive. Concepts such as sustainability, degrowth, circularity, planetary boundaries, power relations, greenwashing and so on are big, theoretical and incomprehensible to everyday people. In the midst of ongoing economic and social crises, where many are struggling to pay their bills, everyday people are not paying attention to the long-term, intergenerational consequences of all sorts of everyday decisions. And neoliberal corporate strategies and political structures use this vulnerability to penetrate even further. That's why there is an urgent need to listen to working class communities and everyday people, rather than impose ideas, solutions and feelings about how things should change. I fear that the way in which the Democrats may have offended the vast majority of working class people is very similar to the way in which sustainability advocates, myself included, are perceived: a bunch of elites speaking from such privileged positions, demanding things without involving the vast majority in these conversations. I am sorry, but the majority of everyday people do not feel motivated, connected or interested in these conversations; our messages may not be as empathetic as they need to be. Everyday people are not listening to what sustainability advocates are trying to say because the other side is using much more appealing communication tools that hijack things. So it is time to listen, because the socio-political context in which we find ourselves demands serious reflection. It is time for change, but that change must come from within. Hence the Einstein quote: ‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them’. #fashion #politics #power #sustainability #social #dialogue #climatechange #people

"While the explosion of new, full-time sustainability jobs in recent years is an encouraging sign, in most organizations, this still represents less than 1% of the overall workforce." Drew Wilkinson thinks sustainability should be part of everybody’s job. And he has a very compelling argument. Drew was one of the co-founders of Microsoft’s 10-000 member employee sustainability community, who helped reconfigure the climate goals of one of the world’s biggest tech companies. Through this experience, he saw first hand the power that regular employees have to take climate action – and how much more successful that action is when it’s supported from the top. We recently spoke to Drew about the importance of greenskilling the existing workforce and why companies need to effectively engage ALL employees on sustainability. Read here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gHvnpEda

“That’s the way we always done it” ain’t gonna cut it anymore… Greenwashing days are coming to an end. Corporate America needs to act - invest more, try harder and resist the ‘business as usual’ non-sense. Our corporate contacts and survey respondents say “culture” and “support” are the most common reasons for not getting sustainability projects done. Until the C-Suite suffers embarrassment and/or trouble hiring quality employees, they will likely only continue ‘skimming’ the surface of any real progress. Note: European companies are kicking our a** at achieving these goals - an advantage that will catch up to us!

“Leave sustainability to activists or the government, we do business to make money‘’ ‘’Sustainability is urgent, but honestly; green tech will solve the problem’’  “I don’t get it, why should investors even care about sustainability?” ➡️Sounds familiar? Are you a Sustainability Executive responsible for developing and driving your company’s sustainability strategy, objectives, and targets forward? Do you often ask yourself ⁉️⁉️🤔 -> How can I instill the necessary sense of urgency amongst my company leaders to open up to understanding and thinking about sustainability in a different / more realistic way?  -> How can I give company leaders the confidence to make business model/activity -changes when the data, modeling, and metrics usually used for decision-making are not yet complete, but the ESG impacts, consequences, and scopes of responsibility are more than evident? -> How can I get cooperation from colleagues of mine, whom I depend on for transformation, who don’t seem to care, understand, or prioritize action? 😒According to the 2023/204 Sustainability Census, 65% of organizations worldwide have made public commitments to sustainability, while more than 60% of 2,253 sustainability professionals interviewed by recruitment firm Acre express doubts about the timeframe for delivering against sustainability targets, while 33% were very or moderately dissatisfied with the resources they have access to. Could it give you hope, peace of mind, and the energy to keep going ..if you had the chance to share challenges, find solutions, and cultivate courage with others in a similar rocky boat as yours? ➡️: then Katrien Rennemeier and I are excited to invite you into a confidential and open conversation structured as follows: a. last 45min - 1hour b. scheduled at your convenience through a link we will share. c. what you tell us will remain strictly confidential d. 3 open-ended questions to respond to at your discretion. With your answers, we gain a deeper understanding of your context and the challenges you face. We will close by asking you which pain point you would like a team of sus executive peers to brainstorm around. What will we do after holding a series of interviews like this?  Well, we want to bring together sustainability executives, belonging to different companies, into a safe space where they can anonymously explore some of these big and small changes and pain points together. We aim to build a series of workshops aimed at clearly understanding individual and common struggles, and sharing / framing of best practices, tips, and tricks. Who are we? We are innovators, with extensive experience in the domain of sustainability, having different backgrounds, living different lives, and having one purpose: being idealist enough but practical enough to contribute to improving the world. Inspired? Reach out to us by DM and we will share a Calendly link so you can book a call on a day and time that suits you. Picture Credit: Hans van Dam

Some good news to start the week as we return to work – despite noise from critics, businesses are not backing away from their sustainability commitments. Instead, they are doubling down on meaningful action. 92% of CEOs are staying the course on sustainability strategies, and 54% say sustainability is a higher priority than it was 12 months ago. With stronger regulations, more refined strategies, and a shift towards regenerative business models, businesses are proving that doing the right thing aligns with long-term success. UNFOLD welcomes this commitment. We believe that a purpose-driven approach is the key to lasting success, and we’re excited to see more businesses embracing sustainability as a strategic priority. 🌱 #UNFOLDFoundation #corporatesustainability https://lnkd.in/gGMgkRKW

The state of the sustainability profession report 2024 has just been published by the Trellis Group – and it makes interesting reading. 🔦   Did you know for example that 63% of vice presidents in sustainability are female in 2024 - making roughly $22,000 more in base compensation than their male counterparts? But, as the national political landscape here in the USA shifts to the right – in many respects it would appear – away from any real concern or accountability for ESG, the role of the ‘ESG controller’ and the need for sustainability reporting and carbon accounting software is predicted to grow and keep pace with the mandatory reporting requirements at the company level. (CSRD and California legislation both require the reporting of scope 3 emissions, for example). As such, the size of the sustainability reporting market for software is expected to grow to $4.34bn by 2027 and sustainability professionals collectively earned 460% more on Upwork in 2022 than they did in 2019! According to data in the report, only 11% of CEOs in 2024 'own or are very engaged' when it comes to sustainability, and 31% say they are interested but don’t consider it a priority. And yet, the percentage of sustainability executives reporting to the CEO has increased from 22%-30% over the past 2 years! Based on my own experience over the past couple of years, 'greenhushing' is on the rise, budgets are being scaled back, teams are being asked to do more with less (or not bother at all) or they are being disbanded or ‘restructured’. So what’s going on I wonder? Are we just witnessing more lip service, political bullet dodging and corporate posturing? Or are we in fact still tracking along on a slow but inevitable transformation to a stakeholder economy? Will the more future focused strategic and intersectional role of the executive level sustainability professional continue to hold any sway? Is it, (as the report suggests) going to come down to how seriously companies are committed to true sustainability in the form of innovation, incubation and horizon scanning (vs. sustainability as form of corporate reporting and data gathering?)   What do you think? I’d love to know! #timetogetgrounded.

As someone who is deeply passionate about sustainability and corporate responsibility, I resonate with Andrew Winston’s view on the daunting burden of proof for corporate sustainability. Through my journey, I've seen firsthand the hurdles businesses encounter in showcasing their genuine sustainability commitments to stakeholders. It's critical for corporations to not just adopt sustainable practices, but also transparently communicate their efforts to stakeholders. Together we need to move forward, making tangible strides towards a future where sustainability isn't just a goal, but a shared reality. https://lnkd.in/eeFjQbQg #SustainabilityLeadership #TransparentCommunication #StakeholderRelationship

#TIME and #Statista have named 500 companies pairing growth with #environmental #stewardship. It's an important list, because it challenges the trade-off mentality of growth versus #green, jobs versus the #environment. It is also refreshing, since it doesn't list all the usual Blue Chip and tech company suspects "either because their finances didn’t grow enough or their environmental impact was too large" To understand which companies are really leading the way forward, TIME and Statista created a new methodology to identify companies around the world demonstrating both outstanding financial and environmental performance. High revenue growth and profitability compared to industry peers were just one requirement for making the cut. Companies also had to show unusually small carbon footprints (via Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, representing direct, indirect, and supply chain #emissions), low #water consumption and #waste production rates, and high green #energy usage. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/eBjNFVyd #sustainable #sustainablebusiness #sustainability

Sharing your sustainability journey isn’t hard. Here’s how to make it simple—and powerful: → Start small. Share your daily actions, no matter how minor they seem. → Be real. Share the good and the bad. Authenticity builds trust. → Break it down. Keep your insights clear and actionable. → Ask for input. Encourage others to share their own steps—build community. → Be consistent. Consistency over time creates lasting impact. Every shared story brings more awareness, more action. Your journey could inspire the next big change. PS: Got a tip? Share in the comment See comment for bonus tip👇 ------------------------------------------ Day 24 of hundred, a journey where I share practical tips and insights to help businesses grow in a sustainable way. Follow/connect God'sfavour Agbora   to learn how to make sustainability simple and effective, and share this post with your network. #sustainbilitymadeeasywithfavour #yourecofriendlygrowthpartner #100dayschallenge