My Insights

Why Should Companies Hire Sustainability Consulting Firms? by Sabrina Watkins The concept of sustainability has become exceedingly important in recent times, and companies are recognizing the importance of taking proactive measures to reduce their adverse environmental impact.  Here comes the role of sustainability consultants who work in unison with companies to ensure they take the appropriate measures to preserve the environment ...

The Energy Conundrum: Accelerating Action on Sustainability by Sabrina Watkins Energy is a conundrum. And everyone has a view, passion, and interest in its cost, environmental footprint and societal impact. It is essential for human health and well-being. As a global society, we are challenged with transitioning the global energy portfolio to cleaner sources AND providing access to the 700 ...

Climate change and consulting What Should We Do About Climate Change? by Sabrina Watkins This is one of the most important and daunting questions of our time for everyone on the planet.There are many experts who eagerly share their thoughts on what actions should be taken, yet there is no one all-encompassing instant solution.To select action to take NOW, perhaps ...

We are Translators and Bridge Builders by Sabrina Watkins This photo is a beautiful bridge in a water treatment facility. Sustainability leadership work is often about "bridging" two different landscapes, too. Leaders often describe their work as "translators" - we are constantly translating between operations and environmental goals, short- and long-term thinking, internal and external stakeholders and much more. We ...

Sustainable Fisheries in Madagascar - Moving Past a Loud NO to Success! by Sabrina Watkins A critical success factor for sustainable actions is that they are socially beneficial - that the community says YES! But what if key stakeholders say NO? This podcast about fisheries in Madagascar shows what happened after a community emphatically said NO to the advice and ...

Why Aren't We All On the Same Page? Alignment within the organization is important but not easy to achieve with genuinely diverse perspectives and divergent goals. Misalignment creates tension and frustration. Strengthening alignment, business focus and knowledge of risks and opportunities can accelerate sustainability progress. Leaders diagnose, then drive resolution. There are many possible causes and reasons for lack of ...

Fighting an Uphill Battle? Leaders come into sustainability from different internal roles or as external hires. Solutions to resulting challenges differ - learning sustainability, building influence or both. Leaders may see enthusiasm or a push from their stakeholders to do business more sustainably. This mix of context can be daunting. External hires are usually selected for their sustainability expertise. They ...

Socially Responsible Investors(SRI) Why engage with SRI's? "Socially Responsible Investors" (SRI's) have smaller shareholdings, but broad influence. Strengthening relationships with them improves the company's reputation and reduces risk but requires coordination between groups. Listening is key - both internally and externally. If investor concerns escalate, resolution is more complex and expensive for the company. SRI's typically have smaller shareholdings than ...