Episode 02: Stepping Up for Sustainability

Libby and Renée explore finding our bold and brave selves amidst the climate emergency and a global pandemic. Libby tells us how, during lockdown, she co-founded a tech company that makes it possible for businesses and consumers to track product eco-footprints for better decision-making and transparency. Renée walks us through her culture and engagement consulting work and how she applies the same methods to Decarbonista. We get into understanding how our carbon footprints are composed and how we can work on many levels to reduce them. We ponder the role of money in sustainability and whether sustainability is truly being prioritised on the world economic scene. What we know for sure is that stretching ourselves and staying alert is critical right now so we can all collaborate, move fast, drive, and adapt to the changes happening to our world and climate.

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Reach us anytime at sustainablemailbag@gmail.com

Shownotes

Links

Libby's startup ReCarbonX product eco-footprint tracking system built on blockchain, smart contracts and integrated industrial sensors http://recarbonx.com

Jana Nevrlka’s book Cofounding the Right Way https://www.cofounding.info/

Libby’s Career Pivoting framework https://www.alifepoetic.com/career-pivot/

Articles that inspired today’s conversation

Changes brought on by coronavirus could help tackle climate change https://theconversation.com/how-changes-brought-on-by-coronavirus-could-help-tackle-climate-change-133509

Governments urged to attach green strings to long-term coronavirus recovery plans https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/03/23/governments-urged-attach-green-strings-long-term-coronavirus-recovery-plans/ And https://www.transportenvironment.org/publications/time-invest-healthy-future-time-green-just-recovery#overlay-context=publications

Kearney on consumer support for sustainable products despite COVID https://www.kearney.com/consumer-retail/article/?/a/consumer-support-still-strong-as-earth-day-celebrates-its-50th-birthday

Renée’s 60/40 framework for the composition of an average Personal Carbon Footprint

60% is where we have direct influence to lower our footprints - by making different choices on what we personally create, buy, use, and discard.
40% is where we have indirect influence through voting / voicing / community. This includes the energy supply, public utilities, waste management and recycling, government services, roads and infrastructure that are available to us based on where we live/play. No matter where we live, a portion of this “infrastructure” is attributable to each of our footprints.

An excellent paper outlining what causes household carbon footprints https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-20571-7_9

And the family experiment to reduce their household footprint https://klimaneutral.berlin/