A systems change toward sustainability: who should be driving?

I’ve been thinking a lot about change lately. Not only about climate change, but about systems change, policy change, business change, individual change. About critical mass, flywheels, and change from the top down versus the bottom up. As we march closer and closer toward irreversible tipping points in our climate and natural ecosystems, it’s clear that more transformative change needs to happen, and now.

Which begs the question: how will we achieve the scale of change required to ensure our planet’s sustainability, and who should be driving it?

As someone that sees the world through an entrepreneurial lens, I’m always thinking about problems and solutions. When I consider the problems of climate change and other ecological crises, I always seem to hit a roadblock: there is no one solution. These are issues that require many solutions — and that likely won’t be ‘solved’. We can certainly lessen the problems and attempt to adapt to their consequences, but a lot of the damage has already been done.

On top of this, many of the solutions require transformative change. And with no global governing body to enforce this, how do we get there? How do we set this (electric) vehicle of systemic change in motion — and who should be steering?

It is this question that has led me to think about different types of change, and how they interact. It has been promising to see an awareness of the need to address climate change in particular across different sectors and levels of society, especially over the past year. For example, the world has seen ambitious pledges from large companies such as Microsoft to reduce and eliminate their carbon emissions, a momentous rise in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing, a move to mandatory company climate risk reporting, and the ‘build back better’ sentiment in relation to COVID-19 green recovery plans.

But why now? Why is climate finally starting to have its moment?

One might point out the obvious, that we’re running out of time and inching ever-closer to these ‘tipping points’. However, scientists have been telling us this for years; and yet our response has been — to put it mildly — limited.

One might also point to the fact that addressing climate change and environmental issues is actually GOOD for business. Something that hit home whilst completing the Bocconi course on corporate sustainability was that embedding sustainability into business models helps companies mitigate risks, increase resilience, capture new opportunities, and enhance their reputation. Whether it’s improved stakeholder engagement or savings on inputs like materials and energy, a move to a more purpose-led, long-term focused organisation presents a strong business case and potential for competitive advantage.

In terms of the wider economy, green technologies are becoming more advanced and affordable. Solar power is now cheaper than coal and gas in most major countries, and carbon capture and storage technologies continue to evolve. Not only that, but it is estimated that the economic benefits from climate action represent a US$26 trillion opportunity, with vast co-benefits in areas like industrial diversification, innovation, and gender equality.

While these factors are no doubt contributing to the current ‘climate moment’, I’m becoming more and more convinced that demand is playing a central role. Demand from communities, from investors, from individuals. Just consider the impact of Greta Thunberg and the ‘Fridays for Future’ movement and the ripple effects that this has had across the globe. Not only are people demonstrating demand by, well, demanding it, but their purchases (whether it’s more sustainable products or company shares with high ESG ratings) are reflecting this demand, too.

The momentous rise in ESG investing has already caused many large corporates to scramble to review their sustainability and climate strategies. While this was partly due to people like Larry Fink (CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager) making bold statements about their stance on ESG, individual investors have also started shifting more of their money to sustainable, climate-friendly stocks. Governments and companies live and die by their people — thus, when enough people demand change through their actions, they tend to listen.

So, where does that leave us on the question of accountability?

I used to think that individuals had a minor role to play in the fight for a more sustainable planet. That real change came from policies, from leaders at the top stepping in and forcing us to change. I still largely believe this, but I’ve also come to view the role of the individual in a new light — to recognise the importance of demand in kickstarting changes at the policy and corporate level.

Not only this, but individual actions can provide further leverage by sparking ‘domino effects’. If one person can inspire others in their social group to engage on the topic of the climate crisis, to normalise emissions reduction behaviours, and to then talk about it with others in their social circle, then something magical happens. We start to shift what is considered ‘normal’, and change starts to propagate… At scale.

However, this still doesn’t acknowledge the elephant in the room: in order to gain enough demand from individuals, we need large-scale engagement on issues around sustainability. Getting people to care about the futures of their children is harder than one might think, especially when it comes to a topic so politicised, so entrenched in science, so complex and nuanced.

The psychological barriers in place that stop people from engaging with topics like climate change are the same ones that make them switch off, become overwhelmed, frightened, and even apathetic to the issue. To wonder what kind of difference they can make and whether the effort of attempting to do anything will be wasted. I’ll admit that I, too, have been guilty of this.

It also doesn’t help that talking about climate change can often go down like a lead balloon. That you can become that ‘doom and gloom’ person in the social group, or even incite a feisty political debate. For many, this is an ‘off-topic’ lunch or dinner table conversation, which is part of our problem. By not talking, it’s easy to forget the threat exists… And carry on with our lives as normal.

But what if there were a different narrative? One that was more positive, inspiring, and story-based? That helped more people to engage — and thus drive up the demand for transformative change at the top?

Working in marketing and communications has taught me the power of story and messaging in driving behaviour change, both areas that we have failed abysmally in when it comes to topics like climate change. This type of existential threat is already playing against our psychology, and the way that it has been framed and turned into a political issue has compounded this.

I’m a big fan of Katharine Hayhoe, a climate change scientist who is working to change the way we think (and talk) about the topic. Katharine advocates for looking for common ground in our approach to engaging others on climate issues, in having solutions-focused conversations that meet people where they are and help them view it as a collective problem… But above all, to remind them about what’s at stake.

I often reflect on my own journey into the climate movement. I like to say that I had a ‘lightbulb moment’, but it was more like a lightbulb flickering into brightness; it took a while for me to switch on completely. After all, accepting that we’re headed toward untold disaster and that we’re responsible is not an easy thing to reconcile.

But here I am. I am a person that has transitioned my lifestyle, goals, and career aspirations into the climate space. As someone with a clear identity as ‘that horse girl’ (yes, I was that horse-obsessed girl at school) and then ‘that sock girl’ (I founded a fun equestrian sock business), intentionally rebranding myself as a champion for the climate probably came as a shock to those close to me. But in my mind, it made total sense.

For me, it took uncovering and resurfacing my core values, educating myself on the problem and various solutions, having more conversations with those in my social circle about it, and being inspired by entrepreneurs and change-makers tackling different aspects of the issue. It took keeping it top of mind and making sense of where I could make an impact — as an individual first, and then on a larger scale. Now, my ultimate goal is to inspire others to get started on their own journeys into this movement… And hopefully, spark my own domino effect.

So, as I reflect back on this question of how we can slow down and reduce the impacts of the climate crisis, there are two things that strike me: one, we clearly need transformative change at all levels, and two, an effective way to do this within the confines of our current political and economic systems is to get more people to care.

Instead of thinking about the one actor (government, companies, individuals) that should be driving this change, I’ve come to believe that this should start and end with people. After all, people are the ones leading our institutions, our businesses, our communities. Systems are made up of people, and people have the ability to change the hearts, minds, and actions of ourselves and those around us.

If we can unlock that all-important emotional connection to the future of our species, then maybe we can reach enough charge to get this sustainability action EV on the road… And then, once we’re in motion, be steered by our expert navigators (scientists, ecologists, sociologists, etc) to keep us on the right track.

Of course, this is easier said than done. Change is hard; change is messy. People are resistant to change. But hasn’t this pandemic proven that we can mobilise when we need to? That when we ‘wake up’ and come together as communities with a common goal, transformative change can happen quickly — at scale?

Perhaps, if we can ramp up our demand for climate action and create different stories around where we can make a difference, we can create our own tipping point of change required to address the climate crisis.

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PS I am fortunate enough to be participating in a startup accelerator run by Antler, the world’s largest early-stage investment platform. Here, I hope to progress a concept I’ve been working on: a gamified software platform that will help companies to encourage and track employee engagement around sustainability. I’m currently interviewing potential users (employees) and buyers (companies) to gather feedback to build a product they will find most valuable. Any advice, insights, or intros to potential interviewees would be greatly appreciated!