The Sustainability Agenda

When we think about the magnitude of global emissions and the scale of the decarbonisation challenge, it is easy to feel that our individual actions are inconsequential. In this episode, we talk to Brett Jenks, President and CEO of the conservation organisation Rare, to look at the crucial role of behaviour change in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Brett tells us about the practical insights Rare has gleaned on how to facilitate behaviour change– and talks us through a recent report by Rare which found that 30 key carbon dioxide reduction solutions –as outlined in Project Drawdown — depend on behaviour change, altogether amounting to one third of the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions modelled. While different solutions are applicable to different parts of the world, it is clear that behaviour change is crucial. As Brett puts it: “socially we need to change our lifestyles faster than our climate is changing or we’re no longer going to be in control”.

With over twenty years’ experience in harnessing behaviour change for conservation and sustainability efforts, Brett stresses that typical strategies revolving around logic and hard facts are broken and rarely go beyond creating a small but committed constituency. Instead, creating climate smart behaviour is dependent on emotional appeals, social incentives and choice architecture, approaches found in nudge theory. Drawing parallels with the societal changes that have occurred in much of the western world around attitudes to racism, homophobia and sexism, Brett points out that rapid changes in societal norms are possible. Drawing on Everett Rodgers’ theory of the diffusion of innovation he explains how change happens and emphasises the importance of early adopters in making change visible and desirable. In particular, he points to a growing acceptance for plant-rich diets and the rise of Tesla as examples of climate smart behaviours that are starting to move towards an early majority.

Brett also emphasises the importance of building momentum around behaviour change in order to encourage policy shift. He notes that advocacy work by organisations tends to overemphasise the importance of politicians at the expense of social movements, which are often what drive policy change. He also points to how shifting consumer preferences, particularly among eco-conscious millennials are encouraging the market to react accordingly. He also points out that much of this is being facilitated by the radical transparency provided by new technologies, such as blockchain, which are empowering consumers and may eventually allow us to see our carbon footprints as accurately and readily as we see our bank balances.

Brett Jenks is the President and CEO of Rare, a global conservation organization whose mission is to inspire change so people and nature thrive. Rare’s work stems from the belief that the root causes of environmental dangers stem from human behaviour and draws on marketing techniques and technical interventions to equip people in biologically diverse areas with the tools and motivation to protect their natural resources. Under Brett’s leadership the organisation has grown substantially so that it now operates in 56 countries and has reached over ten million people. He has written for The New York Times, Huffington Post, the Stanford Social Innovation Review and other publications. He is a Catto Fellow, Braddock Scholar, and McNulty Prize laureate at the Aspen Institute and serves on the Closed Loop Fund investment committee and Rare’s board of directors. Prior to Rare, Brett was a journalist and filmmaker, and he served as the Costa Rica Field Coordinator for WorldTeach, a non-profit based at Harvard’s Center for International Development.

You can find out more about the report Climate Change Needs Behavior Change: Making the Case for Behavioral Solutions to Reduce Global Warming here. This is an edited version of an interview for the Drawdown Agenda podcast.

The post Episode 64: The importance of behaviour change to reduce CO2. Interview with CEO of Rare, Brett Jenks appeared first on The Sustainability Agenda.

In this interview, Professor Katharine Hayhoe, one of climate change’s most effective communicators, provides inspired guidance on how to navigate all sides of the conversation on a topic that is currently one of the most politicised and divisive. Katharine discusses her new book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, illustrated her arguments with stories from her personal experiences. Katharine argues we need to go beyond facts and statistics and begin essential climate conversations with shared values, connect the issue to our individual identities, and help inspire collective action. For Katharine, urgency of action is paramount: “The key conclusion of the IPCC is simply this. Every year counts, every action matters, every choice can make a difference.”

Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist—and a professor of political science at Texas Tech University, where she is co-director of the Climate Science Center. She has served as lead author on the Second, Third, and Fourth National Climate Assessments. Katharine also hosts and produces the PBS Digital Series, Global Weirding, and serves on advisory committees for a broad range of organizations including the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, the Earth Science Women’s Network, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has recently become Chief Scientist, at the Nature Conservancy, the world's largest conservation organization- her new book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World has just been published.

Barry Parkin is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Mars, Inc. The family run confectionary giant has over 33 billion dollars in annual sales and is ranked by Forbes as the 6th largest privately held company in the United States, with over 80,000 employees, 150 factories and a million small-scale suppliers around the world. As Chief Sustainability Officer, Barry is responsible for sustainability across the value chain, notably through shaping and articulating its key targets, policies, and practices. In particular, he has spearheaded the company’s ambitious $1billion Sustainable in a Generation plan. Furthermore, as Chairman of the World Cocoa Foundation, Barry leads the cocoa industry’s collaborative efforts to tackle sustainability issues in a pre-competitive way.

In this revealing interview, Barry outlines the company’s historical commitment to its stakeholders through the concept of mutuality and traces continuities to the company’s current commitment to sustainability. He talks at length about the Sustainable in a Generation initiative’s core pillars of a healthy planet, thriving people and nourishing well-being—with a particular focus on the company’s commitment to fight climate change. Barry highlights the importance of Mars sustainability initiatives pointing out that Mars’ entire carbon footprint is equivalent to Panama’s. He describes some of the company’s recent successes, such as using good agricultural practices to boost yields at the supply level and improvements in energy use in manufacturing through largescale renewable energy infrastructure projects. Barry also stresses the company’s dependence on agriculture. In particular, he discusses how sustainability efforts must help small-scale farmers out of poverty and to guarantee the long-term supply of quality agriculture over the coming decades.

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In episode 44 of the Sustainability Agenda, China Dialogue founder Isabel Hilton gives an overview of China’s emergence as a key environmental actor on the world stage and assesses China’s recent environmental engagement (and motivations). Isabel talks about how the Chinese government exercises control in matters environmental – and some of the particular challenges the government faces- and situates its growing environmental commitment against a background of changing industrial strategy, and movement into more value-added technologies. She distinguishes between China’s domestic and international environmental commitments, in particular, with respect to global warming. Looking to the future, Isabel draws lessons from China’s environmental policies, in particular for the current US administration, and identifies some tell-tale signs we should look for to assess China’s evolving environmental commitments.

Isabel Hilton is a London-based international journalist and broadcaster. She is founder and editor of chinadialogue.net, a non-profit, fully bilingual online publication based in London, Beijing, and Delhi that focuses on the environment and climate change. She is the author and co-author of several books and was awarded the OBE for her work in raising environmental awareness in China. As a journalist, Isabel has worked for The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Guardian, and the New Yorker. In 1992 she became a presenter of the BBC’s flagship news program, “The World Tonight,” then BBC Radio Three’s cultural program “Night Waves.” She is a columnist for The Guardian and her work has appeared in the Financial Times, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Granta, the New Statesman, El Pais, Index on Censorship, and many other publications.

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In this compelling interview, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, a revered Bhutanese lama and educator, offers a distinctive Buddhist outlook on the critical environmental crises we are currently facing. Rinpoche stresses the necessity of immediate action and illustrates how a Buddhist viewpoint can foster a deep comprehension of humanity’s interconnectedness with the environment. He delves into essential Buddhist metaphysical concepts—such as interdependence and the illusion of self—demonstrating how an understanding of these principles can aid in addressing our environmental predicaments. Rinpoche highlights the significance of reconnecting with ancient wisdom and the vital role of educating the younger generation about environmental stewardship.

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, also known as Khyentse Norbu and Thubten Chökyi Gyamtso, is a widely respected Buddhist scholar and teacher from the Rimé (nonsectarian) lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Also an acclaimed filmmaker and author of several books, Rinpoche is known for his modern, progressive, and sometimes provocative approach to teaching the dharma.

Rinpoche is responsible for the care and education of approximately 3,000 monks at several monastic institutions in Asia: Dzongsar Monastery and Dzongsar College in Derge, Sichuan, China; Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Institute in Chauntra, Himachal Pradesh, India; and the Chökyi Gyatso Institute for Buddhist Studies in Dewathang, Bhutan.

In addition to the monastic community, Rinpoche guides hundreds of thousands of students in about 40 countries around the world. As an author, filmmaker, and benefactor, his many creative and philanthropic endeavors extend beyond traditional efforts through an ever-growing mandala of activities.