In this episode, we speak with sustainable investment sherpa Robert Rubinstein about his work to help asset owners reallocate their portfolios toward sustainable investments.About Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Follow Us:Website: http://www.coresponsibility.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollectiveRe...LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coll...Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/beyondbauWeChat: http://www.coresponsibility.com/wechat/Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Sustainability Ambassadors, José María Figueres, Former President of Costa Rica, speaks with Rich about putting Costa Rica on the path to sustainability in the 1990s.The conversation starts with WHY he saw sustainability as an opportunity for his country, and from there HOW he developed strategy, aligned stakeholder, and measured success.Timestamps:00:30 - Welcome to Sustainable Ambassador Podcast01:20 - Jose Introduction02:20 - Creating a vision for sustainable Costa Rica03:50 - Conserving he environment is a fantastic business opportunity06:40 - Making tough sells a reality07:40 - Pushing for the things you believe in, and can prove with science08:05 - Measuring success10:30 - Sustainability & economic tranformations12:05 - The role of subsidies to promote, or inhibit, sustainable investments14:15 - The challenges leaders face to making decisions with long-term return16:15 - How stakeholders are catalyzing leaders17:50 - The role of storytelling to bring solutions to scale20:00 - Advice to young professionals About Jose Maria:José María served as Minister of State and was later elected President of Costa Rica (1994–1998) at the age of 39.As President he created a comprehensive national development strategy based on the tenets of sustainability: sound economics, investment in human development, and a strong alliance with nature. José María pioneered the linkage between sustainable development and technology, which he continued after his time in government by helping to create the United Nations’ ICT Task Force, and then serving as its first Chairperson in 1999. He was also the first CEO of the World Economic Forum, where he strengthened global corporate ties to social and governmental sectors. Later he was named CEO of Concordia 21, dedicated to supporting organizations that promote development and democratic values around the world. In 2013, José María helped launch the Global Ocean Commission to formulate politically and technically feasible recommendations to address key issues facing the high seas. He currently serves as its Co-Chair.Follow José María Figueres:Website: https://www.figueres.cr/en-us/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiguerescrTwitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/figuerescrAbout Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Follow Us:Website: http://www.coresponsibility.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollectiveRe...LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coll...Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/beyondbauWeChat: http://www.coresponsibility.com/wechat/Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we speak with Sammie Ho Dumas, Director of Social Impact & Sustainability at Williams-Sonoma, about her 20 year career focused on elevating sustainability and social impact through the supply chains of leading brands.Timestamps:00:18 - Welcome to Sustainable Ambassador Podcast01:00 - Sammie Dumas Ho introduction 02:00 - Lessons from factory floors03:05 - Asssessing compliance failures 04:30 - Educating workers and factory owners 06:00 - Assessing the environmental & social complainace of a factory07:25 - Learninig to manage expectations08:55 - Helping global stakeholders understand on-the-ground-reality10:00 - Bringing balance between global standards and local realities11:00 - Early steps / lessons in developing CSR career12:00 - Staying relevant with ongoing education and certifications13:25 - Anticipating emerging lessons15:45 - Planning future career development and areas of focus16:55 - Source of motivation and maintaining passion18:20 - Measuring personal success & impact through work19:10 - Advice to young professionals entering CSR/ sustainability careersAbout Sammie:Sammie Ho Dumas is the Director of Social Impact & Sustainability at Williams-Sonoma. At Williams-Sonoma, she collaborates with leadership across the business to achieve the goal of 75% of products purchased from suppliers who offer worker wellbeing programs by 2030. She is a CSR practitioner with 20 years of experience. She has managed CSR and sustainability programs at Target, C&A, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle Outfitters.Contact Sammie:- Instagram: instagram.com/sammiehodumas- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammiehodumas/- Twitter: twitter.com/sammiehodumasAbout Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Follow Us:Website: http://www.coresponsibility.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollectiveRe...LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coll...Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/beyondbauWeChat: http://www.coresponsibility.com/wechat/Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Sustainability Ambassadors, we speak with Ellen Weinreb about the trends and opportunities she is seeing for (young) professionals to develop their careers in the areas of ESG & Sustainability.Through our episode, she mentioned the following reports:State of the Profession 2022https://weinrebgroup.com/state-of-the-profession-2022/The Chief Sustainability Officer 10 Years Laterhttps://weinrebgroup.com/cso-chief-sustainability-officer-esg-report-2021/Timestamps:00:19 - Welcome00:50 - Ellen Personal Introduction01:42 - Trends in Sustainability & ESG 02:34 - Executive level sustainability & ESG positions that companies are looking to fill03:10 - Opportunities for young & mid-career sustainability & ESG professionals04:04 - Role of universities, consulting firms, and certifications to build professional skills05:10 - Which school / certification are most valuable in the market06:00 - Technical vs. general certifications06:30 - Sustainability is now becoming a career07:20 - Basic requirements for becoming a sustainability leader 08:03 - Size of gap between talent supply and market demand08:39 - How to get your start09:22 - State of Profession report: key findings 11:30 - Chief sustainability offers and executive trends and structure13:16 - ESG Drivers: Regulation, consumers, and supply chain15:15 - What are companies looking for?16:31 - Salary Ranges & Trends for CSOs and Sustainability Executives18:22 - Growth of Chief Sustainability Officers20:18 - Career Advice for sustainability-minded young professionals About Ellen:Ellen has worked at the intersection of sustainability and human resources as a recruiter and consultant for 20+ years. A super connector, Ellen’s passion for sustainability and ESG was sparked while obtaining her MBA from Yale and interning at L.L.Bean. Ellen is a regular speaker at industry events, as well as a contributor to Forbes, Huffington Post, and has her own column with GreenBiz entitled “Talent Show.”Follow Ellen:Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinrebgroup/Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenweinreb/Twitter: https://twitter.com/sustainablejobsAbout Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I speak with Diana Chen and Dmitry Andreev about how they got their start in sustainability, the work they are doing as generalists (who are specialize), and how they approach career development in a space where the size and scale of challenges continues to grow.If you are a young professional, or student, looking to develop your career in sustainability, you'll want to stay through the end as they provide some great career tips for viewers!Timestamps:00:19 - Welcome to Sustainable Ambassador Podcast01:04 - Diana Chen Introduction 01:42 - Dmitry Introduction02:30 - Sustainability consulting vs in-house04:30 - Trends supporting developing sustainability careers07;40 - Is it better to start as a generalist or specialist?10:05 - Future of generalists & specialists11:25 - Developing skillsets and value of sustainability certificates & degrees15:05 - Ecosystem for sustainability-minded young professionals 16:55 - Benefits of being Asia-based18:15 - Leveraging experience from Asia 19:35 - Approaching career development as mid-career professional20:30 - Advice to aspiring sustainability professionalsAbout Diana ChenDiana Chen is Associate Principal of Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business in Hong Kong. She advises and helps enterprises deliver on climate change mitigation actions and decarbonization through consulting and technological solutions.Prior to joining Schneider, Diana was Sustainability Advisor at The Purpose Business. Diana has a Masters in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge and a BBA in International Business from the University of South Carolina.Connect to Diana on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianachenhkAbout Dmitry AndreevDima is a Supply Chain Sustainability Senior Consultant based in Shanghai. He advises clients on carbon accounting, science-based targets (SBTs), sustainability and responsible sourcing strategy development, supply chain risk assessment and segmentation, due diligence and supply chain program design. His clients include those in retail, consumer goods and apparel brands, amongst others. Prior to joining the consulting team, Dima worked as a program manager supporting leading international fashion brands and retailers with supply chain social compliance and environmental sustainability programs development and implementation. In that capacity he gained extensive experience with compliance data analytics, data management system development, better chemicals management, carbon accounting and sustainable materials topics. Connect with Dima on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitry-andreev-sh/About Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition of the Sustainability Ambassador podcast, I had the privilege of interviewing James Ehrlich on his visionary perspective for communities that prioritize resilience and regeneration through innovative design, sustainable materials, and mindful living. Our conversation provided valuable insights on tackling today's challenges while also acknowledging the need for a divergent approach towards problem-solving.Timestamps:About JamesJames Ehrlich is Founder of ReGen Villages a Stanford University spin-off company realizing the future of living in regenerative and resilient communities, with critical life support of organic food, clean water, renewable energy and circular nutritional flows at the neighborhood scale. James is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Stanford University School of Medicine Flourishing Project, Singularity Expert, at Singularity University, Senior Fellow at NASA Ames Research Center and (Obama) White House Appointee for Regenerative Infrastructure. Ehrlich founded ReGen Villages as a Dutch (EU) impact-profit company in 2016, with its patented VillageOS™ operating system software to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to define, design and autonomously manage regenerative neighborhoods that promote healthy long-term outcomes for residents and wider communities. ReGen Villages are planned for global replication and scale in collaboration with established industrial partners, universities, governments and sovereign wealth and pension funds, enabling an optimistic post-COVID green transition.Follow James:Website: https://regenvillages.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.ehrlichLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesehrlich/About Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timestamps:00:14 - Welcome to Sustainability Ambassador Podcast00:32 - Francesco Femia Introduction01:18 - Climate Change & Security: 02:15 - Core Issues of Strategic Concern03:35 - Growing Importance04:20 - Current Gaps in Conversations, and Action06:05 - Translating the Issues into Action07:00 - Bringing Stakeholders Together & Outputs 08:55 - Understanding & Gaining the Trust of Security Community12:15 - Building a Community of High Level Officials14:00 - The Language of Climate Change & Security15:10 - Why Establish the Center (vs. Work Within Existing Thinktank)15:45 - Advice for Development of Climate & Security Careers About FrancescoFrancesco “Frank” Femia is Co-Founder and Research Director of the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) and the Center for Climate and Security, as well as Co-Founder and Senior Advisor at the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS). He oversees all of CSR’s research and analysis efforts, including at the Center for Climate and Security, the Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons and the Converging Risks Lab, and acts as Editor-in-Chief for all the organization’s publications.He has also been a regular public commentator on how national security, defense and intelligence communities address climate change-related threats, appearing on a range of television programs and the feature film documentary, Age of Consequences. He has been frequently-cited and interviewed in both mainstream and niche media outlets, including USA Today, Forbes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Economist, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News, the National Review, the New Republic, the BBC, the Atlantic, Defense News, Defense One, and Stars and Stripes, among others.Francesco holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he focused on European foreign policy and security issues, and a degree from Emerson College. He served as a mentor and strategist for the Obama Foundation Scholars program, and on the Advisory Board of the Nuclear Security Working Group.Follow FrancescoWebsite: https://councilonstrategicrisks.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francescofemia/Twitter:About Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Sustainability Ambassadors, we speak with Erin Meezan, about her experience and insights about being Chief Sustainability Officer at Interface.Timestamps:00:35 - Welcome to Sustainable Ambassador Podcast01:05 - Erin Meezan & Interface Introduction02:00 - Early days of sustainability at Interface02:55 - Becoming the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of Interface03:40 - Understanding the business, and knowing the challenges 04:55 - Prioritizing the problems to be solved05:45 - Is technical expertise required for Chief Sustainability Officers to be effective 07:10 - Working with leadership team to set targets, set ambition, and make progress09:20 - Internal vs. external pressure, and defining successll:15 - Be willing to take a stand12:35 - Three fundamental questions CSOs need to ask15:25 - Potential of ESG & sustainability reporting16:15 - The future of CSOs19:15 - The potential career paths for CSOs20:00 - Advice to future CSOsAbout Erin MeezanAs CSO, Erin leads a global team that provides technical assistance and support to this audacious goal and the company’s global business, addressing sustainability at all levels – from operations and management, to employees and customers, and in policy forums. Erin and her team also develop industry-leading approaches to measurement, driving transparency and innovation in the field of sustainability.Meezan has a Masters in Environmental Law and a Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School, and a Bachelors of Arts from Michigan State University. She is a founding member of the advisory board for the Sustainable Entrepreneurship MBS program at the University of Vermont's Grossman School of Business and a guest faculty member for the Executive Education for Sustainable Leadership Program at Harvard University.Follow Erin MeezanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmeezan/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinmeezAbout Sustainability Ambassador Series: Through this series, I speak with Sustainability Ambassadors about their work to solve the environmental, social, and economic challenges faced. Episodes are designed to be interactive, current, lively, and grounded in experience, with our goal to engage and inspire viewers to take the “next steps” on their own sustainability journey.A journey we hope will result in the development and deployment of sustainable solutions, programs, platforms, and collaborations.About Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timestamps:00:15 - Welcome to Sustainability Ambassador Podcast00:38 - Joshua Horton Introduction01:00 - Introduction to Overshoot02:00 - Clawing Back from Overshoot03:05 - Are Leaders Ready for Overshoot?03:30 - Mission & Vision of Climate Overshoot Commission05:40 - Adaptation06:30 - Introduction to Solar Geoengineering07:45: - Risks, and Risks Framing, of Solar Geoengineering08:45 - Challenges of Deploying Solar Geoengeering09:30 - Countries Making the Decision To Deploy09:45 - Initial Interest in Solar Geoengineering11:00 - Switching CAreer into Solar Geoengineering12:20 - Risks of Relying on Technology to "Save Us"13:40 - Skillsets & Tools Required for Solar GEoenginnering14:45 - Staying Focused15:30 Advice to Young Professionals Interested in Climate Change sectorAbout Joshua HortonDr. Horton is the Senior Program Fellow, Solar Geoengineering at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and Research Director for the Global Commission on Governing Risks from Climate Overshoot (“Climate Overshoot Commission”). He conducts research on solar geoengineering policy and other aspects of global climate governance. He previously worked as a clean energy consultant for a global energy consulting firm. Dr. Horton holds a PhD in political science from Johns Hopkins University and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center.Follow JoshuaWebsite: https://www.overshootcommission.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-horton-b2624121/Twitter: joshuahorton533 About Collective ResponsibilityBased in Shanghai, Collective Responsibility is a strategic advisory firm founded by Richard Brubaker, one of Asia’s most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership.Founded with the fundamental belief that a sustainable world can only be achieved through awareness of issues, finding tangibility in business cases, and development of cross-sector collaboration, Collective Responsibility acts as a knowledge base, catalyst, and facilitator between stakeholders.Our mission is to:– Create a knowledge base and catalyze discussion of issues related to the development of civil society, business sustainability and social development in Asia.– Develop tangible interests, engagement, and action on issues of sustainability (economic, environmental and societal).– Develop organizational capacity with the aim to help create stable and profitable enterprises.Contact Us:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.