The Extreme Climate Influence of Corporate Carbon Accountability

For those who don’t know, I came to my climate career via the corporate sustainability communications route, and COP21 was the moment I veered more directly into corporate leadership in climate action. The urgency of the issue and the collaborative potential in that focus just called my name. And… I can get pretty energized imagining what *could* happen if corporate leaders got the right nudges to change. We need even a few,…the proud, the brave…to step it up! (This is why I am ever on the lookout for corporate leaders who’d be up a fit as a guest for my Living Change podcast, but I digress… )

On that note, The California Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act - currently building some great momentum thanks to Senator Scott Wiener and an amazing coalition (including my client, Carbon Accountable) - has some serious Climate Influence potential. We all should not only “watch” to see what happens, but use our own platforms to amplify it’s power for the whole country.

This is “a la” the Inflation Reduction Act, people, in that it’s importance has not yet reached or resonated with the masses who will benefit. So, let’s all chime in across the country, loudly(I keep using that word!), to spread the news and get this past the finish line in California. You’ll see me tweeting (X-ing?), and sharing on LinkedIn about it, a lot.

The basics:

Note: Every person with any level of leadership or influence in their sector (like you) who gets louder about their own changing life and business practices really does contribute a LOT to helping shift colleagues/peers and their own sectors. Almost more than consumer campaigns, when leaders are visible about bold change, it nudges their peers - who can then impact their companies/stakeholders etc. Now is the time to own your role in messaging this shift, friends. I’ve got you. Advising on that is exactly what I do.

News To Use

RE: Big Meat lobbying (completely) counters climate science via Damian Carrington in The Guardian

The money spent on lobbying the US government by meat producers was 190 times more than for the alternatives and was three times higher in the EU. The researchers also found that almost all dietary guidelines avoided highlighting the environmental impact of meat production and bans on alternative products using terms such as “milk”.

Cutting meat consumption in rich nations is vital to tackling the climate crisis. Livestock production causes 15% of all global greenhouse emissions. Cutting meat and dairy consumption also slashes pollution, land and water use, and the destruction of forests, with scientists saying it is the single biggest way for people to reduce their impact on the planet.

Again, here’s a reason for more people to get more visible - and audible - about how much they have loved veering toward a less-meat/less-dairy diet. Identify your climate influence and leverage it, folks. If you are in the climate-focused world and have not yet addressed your own plate a bit, AND supported policy-makers who are addressing agriculture and food systems shift, what are you waiting for? #PlantBased4Climate

RE: Single-stair buildings=affordable housing=climate action via LA Times editorial board (highlighting the work of Livable Communities Initiative, an organization I advise)

Proponents of legalizing single stairways say it could encourage a lot more construction — and better buildings. The change would give architects more flexibility in designing larger units for families, with shared courtyards, more light and ventilation. It could open up an estimated 11,500 commercial and multi-residential parcels in Los Angeles for mid-rise buildings, said Ed Mendoza, a city planner and organizer with the Livable Communities Initiative, an L.A.-based group that sponsored AB 835.

RE: Maximizing climate event presence via me on LinkedIn

Don’t assume the bigger, glamorous sounding, well-sponsored events are your best bet. Instead, dial into your sector and really study the events list (ever-updating, so keep going back to look). Even smaller sessions or lesser known happy hour events may have more strategic speakers, attendees and audiences for your efforts.

Take that tip you’ve often heard: it’s more about the networking.

For years, my clients have said that I am great "event insurance" for wisely planning, prepping, experiencing and following-up on conferences. As we head into a busy fall of important climate and sustainability events, you may be in need of a smidgeon of advice. So, I wrote a quick, top-line guide to help you think about Climate Group #ClimateWeek #ClimateWeekNYC specifically, but it also holds for whatever events you have teed up, like GreenBiz VERGE or COP28.

RE: LinkedIn IS worth your time via Sarah Frier for Bloomberg (Subscription required)

As other networks stagnate, shift their algorithms or burn themselves to the ground, LinkedIn is becoming a site where regular people actually want to hang out and post their thoughts. It might even be cool.

LinkedIn can be very powerful in the sustainability and climate influence space, and I have long emphasized it’s usefulness with my communities and clients. It’s not as short, snappy and fluid as Twitter/X used to be in the day. But, you can use tags, find the influencers you’d like to build community with, and streamline the time you spend there to make it very productive. If you’ve been avoiding it, give it a re-think.

Reminder: I’ll be at Climate Week NYC in late September. If your event could use an experienced interviewer/moderator, please reach out. The skills I’ve built as the host of the Living Change climate leadership podcast translate well! Bonus, with my existing sustainability and climate-focused leadership audiences, I bring my well-established corporate sustainability and climate leader audiences along (especially via online and digital eyeballs). Set up a quick advisory call in the next week or so and I can also give you high-level advice on how to promote your events via social platforms (even LinkedIn!).

Don’t miss: the Climify podcast interview with me. We had a great discussion, with some emphasis on my manifesto and theory of change (“name and fame” versus “name and shame” is a key point.)

Thanks *so much* for reading/sharing/subscribing. Please comment or message me with questions on building climate influence. I may cover your suggested topics in a future issue. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram and T2 in the meantime (I also linger on “X”.)