entrepreneurship

Transforming Ireland’s home for entrepreneurs to support climate innovators

Bronagh Loughlin — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 11:31:06 +0000

Transforming Ireland’s home for entrepreneurs to support climate innovators

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Climate Innovation

entrepreneurship

Ireland

Circular Economy

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Climate Innovation

As a top global incubator in the heart of Dublin City, hosting more than 160 innovative start-ups, the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) has a massive influence on the business ecosystem in Ireland.

The Guinness Enterprise Centre is recognised as one of the greatest incubators globally, ranking as the second private business incubator in the world, according to UBI, the University Business Incubator benchmark.

Eamonn Sayers, Manager at GEC, says: “Our mission is to drive economic wealth in Ireland by empowering entrepreneurs to start and scale.

We provide the best environment for these entrepreneurs to attract talent, scale, and build phenomenal businesses.”

In the past years, the GEC underwent a transformational change inside-out.

After many years of being a traditional business support organisation, they modernised the building with sustainability in mind and became a green business hub.

Eamonn Sayers, Manager, Guinness Enterprise Centre

Recently, the Irish Government nominated the Guinness Enterprise Centre as a Circular Economy Hub.

They now actively collaborate with Techies Go Green, a non-profit organisation supporting tech-oriented companies to become carbon neutral by 2030, in building a sustainability cluster.

The cluster was launched by Eamon Ryan T.D., Minister for the Environment and Climate, in February 2023.

“What’s happening at the GEC right now is also a preview into the future of smart business and innovation in Ireland,” said Minister Ryan at the launch.

Speaking on this transition, Eamonn further explains how they facilitated this shift: “We recently completed an €11m expansion with support from Diageo, Dublin City Council, Dublin City Local Enterprise Office, Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Strategic Investment Fund and Furthr.

We started planning for this in 2016-2017, and from the beginning, we had the desire to put sustainability at the heart of our community in the GEC.”

More and more businesses are recognising the importance of taking climate action.

Eamonn reflects on the GEC’s decision: “We need to lead and demonstrate what is possible. In our community, we are inspired by innovators and entrepreneurs every single day.

It’s all around us. It’s in our DNA, and sustainability must also be in our DNA.”

The GEC building is now 95,000 square feet. Two new floors were added and built with carbon neutrality at their core.

The concept of having a green roof has encouraged the team to the point where they now have 18 beehives on the top of the building.

(Left to right) Eamonn Sayers, manager, Guinness Enterprise Centre; Eamon Ryan, TD, Minister for the Environment and Climate; Michael O Hara, co-founder, Techies Go Green; and Dr Mary O Riordan, CEO, HaPPE Earth on the green roof of GEC at the beehives.

Sustainability measures were also factored in around heating, lighting, air conditioning, recycling, charge points, transport initiatives, and much more. The team have plans to install solar panels to further their greening efforts.

Speaking on the challenges they faced in transitioning to a hub for sustainable innovation, Eamonn says: “The primary challenges we faced were balancing cost and value and, initially, lack of deep domain knowledge.

Understanding the practical side of sustainability was crucial to the development of the Centre.”

The team expects the hub to grow further and help immensely to drive sustainable innovation.

They started by building the largest community of sustainable innovators by collaborating with key partners in this space, such as Techies Go Green, Community Resources Network Ireland, Dublin City Council, the Dublin City Local Enterprise Office and Enterprise Ireland.

“In line with Government’s cluster policy, we have developed the Centres sustainability cluster, Sustainability@GEC attracting climate innovators with more engagement on a weekly basis. Besides, we are engaging our sustainable early-stage startup community with corporations adopting best practices and building new processes.”

The GEC team also believe the transition to a hub for sustainable innovation will help other businesses that are not traditionally green overcome barriers and challenges to implementing sustainability and circular economy practices.

Eamonn says that the GEC will act as a test bed connecting with a wide range of businesses and enterprise locations, with enterprises operating from their building employing over 900 staff.

“We want to share our sustainability journey with all other startup hubs across our enterprise ecosystem here in Ireland, thereby putting sustainability at the core of every startup community,” Says Eamonn about their ambitions to go further.

“If we get it right in the GEC, we can get it right in every start-up hub in Ireland. We get it right in the hubs; then it follows that every start-up in Ireland will put sustainability at the core of how they operate in business.

The impact on our country will be tremendous.

We are excited by the potential of Irish start-ups showing the way towards a sustainable future.

We have it within our own work and deeds to develop a brighter future for Ireland and for the world we live in. Let’s grasp this opportunity - our time for sustainability is now.”

This article is an extract from content originally published in the Circular Economy in Action special edition of the Profit with Purpose Magazine - you can read the full article and other features in the magazine.

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Why do ambitious changemakers upskill in Climate Entrepreneurship?

Bronagh Loughlin — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 17:21:41 +0000

Why do ambitious changemakers upskill in Climate Entrepreneurship?

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Choosing a trailblazer postgraduate course focusing on climate action is becoming a top choice for innovators wanting to make a positive impact in Ireland.

The first course of its kind, the Postgraduate Certificate in Climate Entrepreneurship hosted by Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workplace in Dublin, offers students a hands-on learning experience to tackle climate change with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Applications are currently open until the 16th of August for this part-time, blended learning experience delivered in person and online, with teaching lessons held two evenings per week.

This unique course was developed in collaboration with the School of Natural Sciences at Trinity College Dublin and is now kicking off for a second year to equip participants with knowledge and tools to handle both the opportunities and challenges arising from the climate emergency.

Professor Quentin Crowley, Course Director and the Director of Trinity College’s Centre for the Environment, speaks about who the programme is suitable for:

“A key aspect of the course is that it is very multidisciplinary because climate change is very systemic and is not something that will be solved with one solution.

We need different actors, sectors, and thinkers, so regardless of your background, we encourage you to apply.”

The course aims to provide an integrated approach to preparing students for the opportunities and challenges emerging from the climate crisis.

Professor Quentin Crowley, Climate Entrepreneurship Course Director at Tangent, Trinity College Dublin

All those who wish to turn their climate action ambitions into reality can develop their lateral and critical thinking skills in this course, enabling them to take innovative approaches across numerous fields.

Graduates will have the creative confidence to transform ideas into solutions.

Shanna May Breen, a past student from the first intake, shares why she decided to apply for the Climate Entrepreneurship programme:

“I’m a creative, my background is in theatre making. Around four and a half years ago, I became quite worrisome in terms of climate issues. I started developing projects that looked at climate to make that intelligible for me."

Shanna took her idea even further and developed a business called Tree Zero.

Shanna May Breen, graduated from the first Postgraduate Climate Entrepreneurship course.

"I’m not only a Climate Artist now, but I’m also a Climate Entrepreneur.”

Since the course’s completion, she has been developing this product alongside Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme with top sustainable European designers.

The course is best suited to those who want to actively address climate change and equip themselves with the creative confidence and innovation skills to transform their ideas into solutions.

The content covered in the classes is centred around three main modules, including systems innovation for positive climate action, entrepreneurship opportunities in climate adaptation and mitigation, and climate enterprise development.

Caithriona McCarthy, another graduate of the course, speaks about why she decided to join: “For the last 10 years, I’ve been teaching sustainable horticulture and sustainable agriculture in the west of Ireland."

Participating in the Climate Entrepreneurship course helped Caithriona McCarthy to design a climate education programme for children. Image: Edible Landscape Project

"As a result of doing the Climate Entrepreneurship course, we were able to better communicate our message,” McCarthy adds.

She quickly adopted her learning, and by the time Caithriona finished the course, she had designed a climate education programme for children focusing on system thinking with her team.

Joining the Climate Entrepreneurship course will help students be better prepared to reduce the future social and economic costs of the climate crisis while encouraging communities, businesses, and individuals to play their part.

Caithriona also highlights the added value of working in teams:

“I think the group work was brilliant because we were so motivated and that made us work well with each other. I’ve stayed in touch with groups I’ve worked with and bounced ideas off them too.”

Those on the programme benefit from access to leading academics and a world-class entrepreneurial community as well as exclusive networking opportunities with regular guest talks by industry leaders, masterclasses, and events.

About the content, Shanna May Breen adds: :

“I think the course is so interesting that you are eager to log on and meet up each evening.

It was a very active course to participate in, and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

The Postgraduate Certificate in Climate Entrepreneurship will begin in September 2022 and runs until March 2023.

Springboard+ covers 100% of course fees for eligible, unemployed applicants, and those who are employed pay just 10% fees at €375 for a level 9 qualification from Ireland’s leading university.

You can learn more and submit your application here.

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August 2022

First Climate Entrepreneurship postgraduate course in Ireland is launched

Szilvia Szabó — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 21:24:57 +0000

First Climate Entrepreneurship postgraduate course in Ireland is launched

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An opportunity for innovators to upskill, reskill, or pivot ideas to tackle climate change and gain market advantage

Trinity College Dublin has launched a new Postgraduate Certificate in Climate Entrepreneurship.

The first of its kind course in Ireland was designed to address the climate change emergency and better equip future business leaders to mitigate related risks and unlock opportunities.

The course run by Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace, in collaboration with the School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin will begin in March 2021.

“Climate entrepreneurship is a rapidly emerging area with the potential to build societal resilience, create additional jobs in both rural and urban areas and have a meaningful societal impact while positioning Ireland as a global leader in responding and adapting to climate change,”

says Professor Quentin Crowley, Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin.

Professor Quentin Crowley, Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin

The Irish Government Climate Action Plan (2019) outlines an integrated approach to prepare for climate-related opportunities and challenges in alignment with the recently introduced EU Green Deal, which will radically change sectors and the economy.

This move presents new opportunities for entrepreneurs and those on the forefront of the transition to a low-carbon economy.

According to Professor Crowley, as we seek opportunities to increase climate change adaption or mitigation measures, we can also make a positive contribution to our economy and society.

Graduates of the Climate Entrepreneurship programme will develop entrepreneurial skills that can be applied to any aspect of climate action.

They will be given critical and lateral thinking skills and an understanding of the societal and economic value that can be achieved by applying an innovative approach to the global challenge presented by climate change.

This course will not focus on any one area but how these opportunities can fit together, involving three key modules:

Systems Innovation for Positive Climate Action
Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
Climate Enterprise Development

Modules are designed to enable undergraduates to identify opportunities for entrepreneurship that can positively impact climate change, including the process of creating, leading and scaling a start-up venture and developing a sustainable green business.

Students can expect to gain both subject-specific and transferrable skills and have the confidence to turn ideas into creative solutions with a particular focus on developing system-thinking and entrepreneurial mindset.

"I'm interested in this course because I have a huge passion for sustainability and social justice. I believe that when it comes to finding solutions to pressing issues, like climate change, entrepreneurs are leading the way.

I would love to join alongside them and discover how we can truly tackle these issues to save our planet.

As a Freelance Writer and Journalist, a majority of my clients are organisations who are working in the field of sustainable business.

I feel that the course is the perfect combination to improve my skills to meet the needs of future clients I would like to work with and take action myself," explains Bronagh Loughlin why she is considering taking this course as her next carrier move.

Online Postgraduate Certificate in Climate Entrepreneurship; image: Pexels

Industry players are also keen to engage and have shown a tremendous amount of enthusiasm to contribute.

A wide range of experts will be involved to ensure a down-to-earth approach and to offer sectorial insights.

The course is funded under the HEA Springboard+ initiative and is free to eligible candidates.

Classes will be delivered online over 24 weeks, and graduates will be awarded a Level 9 Certification from Trinity College Dublin.

“We recommend this course to eligible applicants who would like to challenge themselves and work with others who have a passion for becoming changemakers.

If you have a curious mind, willing to explore outside of your subject area and collaborate to explore new solutions, this course is for you,” says Professor Quentin.

Graduates can use this learning opportunity to upskill, reskill, or pivot their area of focus.

Highlighted areas of the course:

Developing strategies and action plans in response to high impact climate challenges.
Communicate and interact with multiple stakeholders to support positive climate action.
Enable behavioural changes and explain their influence as changemakers in complex climate systems.
Evaluate ethical, social, commercial and political factors in decision making to support climate entrepreneurship.

“This course is a launchpad for the changemakers, activists and entrepreneurs who understand that there is still time to address the global issue of climate change.

I look forward to the innovative solutions that graduates on this course will produce, creating a positive impact on the world,” adds Dr Dan Rogers, Head of Education at Tangent, Trinity's Ideas Workspace.

Applications are welcome from any nationality where they have been resident in the EU/EEA for 3 of 5 years prior to application. The closing date for applications is 11th February 2021.

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January 2021

Young trailblazer innovators awarded for bold sustainability ideas by UNEP

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 12:05:42 +0000

Young trailblazer innovators awarded for bold sustainability ideas by UNEP

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The Young Champions of the Earth prize is awarded to innovators with bold ideas for sustainable environmental change

The Young Champions of the Earth prize is awarded every year to seven entrepreneurs under the age of 30 with bold ideas for sustainable environmental change.

Winners, hailing from different regions around the world, receive seed funding, mentoring and communications support to amplify their efforts.

The prize is the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) leading initiative to engage youth in tackling the world's most pressing environmental challenges. Since its inception in 2017, 28 environmental trailblazers have been recognised from every corner of the globe.

“Globally, young people are leading the way in calling for meaningful and immediate solutions to the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution – we must listen,”

said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

“As we enter this decisive decade where we work to cut emissions and protect and restore ecosystems, UNEP Young Champions demonstrate that all of us can contribute, starting where we are with what we have. Every single act for nature counts, and we need the entire spectrum of humanity to share this global responsibility and this profound opportunity.”

With solutions to harvest water from the air, recycle plastic into paving slabs, and motivate fishing boats to haul tonnes of plastic out of the ocean, these change-makers show how innovative ideas coupled with ambitious action can help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

The seven prize winners, all 30 years old or younger, were selected by a global jury of experts following a competitive public nomination.

“It is absurd that we still have this problem of providing decent shelter – a basic human need. Plastic is a material that is misused and misunderstood.

The potential is enormous, but its after life can be disastrous,” says Nzambi Matee one of the winners.

In 2017, Matee quit her job as a data analyst and set up a small lab in her mother’s back yard.

There, she began creating and testing pavers, which are a combination of plastic and sand.

She developed the prototype for a machine that turns discarded plastic into paving stones – an invention that underpins her company, Gjenge Makers.

Each day, the business churns out 1,500 plastic pavers, which are prized by schools and homeowners because they are both durable and affordable.

With her enterprise she is also giving a second life to plastic bottles and other containers which would otherwise end up in landfills or, worse, on Nairobi’s streets.

Nzambi Matee, Young Champion of the Earth 2020 winner; Image: UNEP

Matee encourages other young people to tackle environmental challenges at the local level.

“The negative impact we are having on the environment is huge,” said Matee. “It’s up to us to make this reality better. Start with whatever local solution you can find and be consistent with it. The results will be amazing.”

On of the winners from the Asia and Pacific region, 29 years old Xiaoyuan Ren from China, has a similar mindset with her MyH2O data platform that tests and records the quality of groundwater across a thousand villages in rural China into an app so residents know where to find clean water.

The platform also educates communities about sources of contamination and connects villages with potable water companies.

Since its launch in 2015, MyH2O has helped provide clean water to tens of thousands of villagers, an accomplishment that saw Ren recently named a Young Champion of the Earth.

Indian engineer, Vidyut Mohan, who grew up in Delhi, is the co-founder of Takachar. The company buys rice husks, straw and coconut shells from farmers and turns them into charcoal, saving the debris from the fires, which are also a driver of climate change.

Mohan and co-founder Kevin Kung launched their venture in 2018, where they have worked with about 4,500 farmers and processed 3,000 tonnes of crops. Those efforts were recently recognized by becoming one of the winners of this year's award.

“I’ve always been passionate about energy access and creating income opportunities for poor communities,” said Mohan. “(That) is at the heart of finding answers to the difficult question of balancing economic growth and climate change mitigation in developing countries.”

Max Hidalgo, biologist and inventor - named Young Champion of the Earth 2020; Image: UNEP

Max Hidalgo, a relentless tinkerer, biologist and inventor, was also honoured as one of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Young Champions of the Earth for 2020.

He uses nature as inspiration for technological innovations that change lives in the world’s poorest communities.

“I developed an electrical energy generator in the shape of a local flower, and a flowerpot that can charge cell phone batteries,” he said. “Now I am working on developing biodegradable packaging that’s hexagonal, like a beehive, so that it is sturdy but compact.

Nature in itself is incredible. There is so much we can learn by observing it.”

His most heralded invention thus far turns the wind into water.

Called Yawa after the Quechua words for water, yaku, and wind, waira, the technology uses a wind turbine to condense vapour from the air and generate water.

The technology is much needed in Hidalgo’s native Peru, one of the countries in Latin America most at risk of a water crisis due to changing climate.

“There are communities that have been waiting for water for 20 years and rely on trucks that come in with expensive water of questionable quality,” he said.

The Yawa technology, developed by Hidalgo, is an example of best practice in the circular economy.

Materials used to build the turbine are recyclable and there is minimal plastic in the device.

The simple-to-use technology is even being modified to adapt to local air quality, a response to the challenges wrought by air pollution.

But most importantly, the technology is something that can be used, owned and repaired by the communities it serves, even if they are no experts.

Other outstanding projects that received the honour of becoming Young Champions of the Earth in 2020 are:

North America: Niria Alicia Garcia (USA, 28), coordinates - alongside a community of indigenous activists - the annual Run 4 Salmon event using virtual reality to bring to life the historical journey of the Sacramento chinook salmon along California’s largest watershed, raising awareness of this invaluable ecosystem, the species and people it supports.

West Asia: Fatemah Alzelzela (Kuwait, 24) started Eco Star, a non-profit recycling initiative that exchanges trees and plants for waste from homes, schools and businesses in Kuwait. Since launching in early 2019, Eco Star has recycled over 130 tonnes of metal, paper and plastic.

Europe: Lefteris Arapakis (Greece, 26 years) founded the start-up Enaleia, through which the team trains, empowers and incentivises the local fishing community to collect plastic from the sea, allowing both fish stocks and the ecosystem to recover. Enaleia is also prototyping recycling the plastic into fashion merchandise like socks and swimsuits.

By amplifying news of the significant work being done on the environmental frontlines, the Young Champions of the Earth prize - part of UNEP’s #ForNature campaign - aims to inspire and motivate more young people to act for nature.

More stories of winners: Young Champions of the Earth

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December 2020

Social innovator to deliver a positive impact in Africa despite pandemic

Tia Clarke — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 16:54:34 +0000

Social innovator to deliver a positive impact in Africa despite pandemic

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Italian social entrepreneur on a mission to save infants lives' in Sub-Saharan Africa

Lucia Dal Negro, the founder of the Italian benefit corporation De-LAB, is on a mission to reduce the rate of infant mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa using an incredibly simple yet innovative solution - the KOKONO protective cradle. Lucia is a researcher focusing on Frugal Innovation in her studies and a social entrepreneur who is passionate about creating meaningful change in collaboration with locals in African regions.

According to plans, the protective cradle will be distributed in rural villages in Uganda first, as a solution for working parents to ensure that they can carry their babies to work and keep them safe - for example on the fields, or markets.

Lucia Dal Negro, researcher and social entrepreneur

It also protects babies against infections from mosquitos and suffocation whilst sleeping at night.

This product is not only bringing positive changes to people but made sustainably too using 70% locally sourced natural fibres and produced by local people.

Lucia and her team had to adjust to the new situation and challenges both in manufacturing and sales, presented by the COVID pandemic.

They are currently focusing on raising funds for a simplified version of the KOKONO cradle made of recycled plastic to make it more accessible for the vulnerable people who need it most.

KOKONO protective cradle

The transition from academia to business to create the KOKONO Cradle

" I started this project in the first place because I was extremely tired of listening to academics describing wonderful possibilities to do business by doing good in low-income communities without having ever tested any of their assumptions and hypotheses. So I decided to walk the talk of the ‘social business hype’ and do something practical, in order to learn from the field what was the real challenge of using business as a force for good.

Co-creating the KOKONO cradle with locals in Uganda

KOKONO’s mission is to protect babies below one year of age from the leading health and security threats to which they are exposed due to poor living conditions in South-Saharan Africa, more precisely in Uganda.

We decided to investigate this area of needs after spending many years studying and operating in the Global South, with De-LAB, realizing that childcare is mainly managed at a hospital level, wherever possible, but more rarely at a household level.

Based on our learnings, we started to design an object that could protect babies’ health from accidental hits and animal attacks, insects - including those transmitting malaria - rodents, reptiles.

We invented and patented a unique cradle, named KOKONO, which means empty pumpkin in Ugandan dialect.

It provides a safe space for taking care of infants during the day and night-time. We are offering a solution to parents, mainly women who are working far from home. One of the possible scenarios is when a mother is working on plantations or cultivating the cassava plant that after a couple of hours carrying her baby, she puts him/her down to the ground. That's where the babies are more exposed to sanitary and safety risks.

Designing for impact and usability

We needed to consider various factors in the design process. Like the shell had to be rigid enough so a snake cannot crack it, covered with a mosquito net with a self-sustaining handle which is made of rope and can be replaced very easily if needed.

We wanted mothers to be able to bring their baby with them wherever they are going and if necessary, leave the baby on the ground with a piece of mind that its safe.

Typically only one mosquito net is available for each family, so parents and all of their children usually sleep in one big bed protected by the single net in their household. Due to this situation, there are many cases of accidental baby suffocations at night-time.

Parents with a KOKONO can put the baby sleeping next to them in the cradle up until the child is one year old, giving better chances to survival in the most critical first 12 months. After that, the mothers can sell it, rent it, or pass it on to a friend.

One of the most rewarding highlights of the journey so far happened when we were co-creating the object with local communities in Hoima villages. A pregnant woman came to me saying that she was so happy to know that a new solution was about to be available in her village, but I had to be very fast as her baby was about to be born.

I think this was one of the best endorsements I could have ever received that we are creating something meaningful!

Adapting the business model to address Coronavirus pandemic related challenges

When the Covid crisis started, our venture was impacted greatly. 67% of Ugandan people lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 crisis. The international airport has been closed, and foreign investments are radically decreased.

The country is almost completely isolated with people being out of work which means that they are only getting poorer and poorer over time.

To get the first handcrafted version of KOKONO out is still our top priority and we will definitely want to keep it, but the production became too expensive in a post-Covid market.

Collaborating with local authorities to bring KOKONO to the market

We are determined not to give up on our original mission in helping locals keep their family safe, so we came up with a more cost-effective design which would still function well.

One thing I wanted to avoid is to let down these extremely poor people who were hit by this pandemic badly.

The new version of the cradle is made of recycled plastic with a simple design that is quick and easy to produce.

Although we need a plastic moulder to assemble it which requires investments, therefore we are setting up an online crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to start production.

Also, we have a zero-waste distribution model that means if the cradle becomes broken, it can be collected by our team and use it again.

Join our mission by becoming a supporter of KOKONO

I see KOKONO as a project, not just a product.

I believe that it has the power not just to help solve a specific social problem but to create a bridge between different cultures.

Image credit: Pexels

Taking care of babies is a universal experience for people regardless of where or how they live.

As part of our crowdfunding campaign, we want to encourage people to connect through sharing their traditional lullabies which we hope will serve as a reminder that children are our common future.

Contributors can choose a short refrain from a lullaby which we will engrave onto the side of the cradle. We aim to create a sort of cross cultural global embrace.

The crowdfunding campaign starts in November 2020, and people can donate any amounts to support the KOKONO project.

In the meantime, we are more than grateful to receive any support that could help to make KOKONO a reality for parents in Sub-Sharan Africa to protect their babies.

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August 2020

Women on a mission: Challenging business as usual

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 13:30:52 +0000

Women on a mission: Challenging business as usual

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Sustainable business

Social Innovation

Fighting the conventional to embed social, environmental values into business strategy.

Despite working in different fields, such as industry, academia, communication, three women have one thing in common. They are passionately working to create a new norm where embedding social, environmental values into business strategy will be part of business as usual. How do these strong female leaders are making change happen and influencing others too?

Sustainability in business

"I would probably describe myself as a corporate activist for sustainability, but I didn’t initially come down this route. I went to work in the traditional environmental sector, but once I became more aware of the climate challenge – both the scale and potential impact – and the role of business, I was hooked.

Since having children, I have become even more involved, worrying about their future, and selfishly about my own, as climate change is going to have an impact in my lifetime.

I have worked in corporate sustainability for over a decade. I spent several years as a sustainability manager for IKEA Ireland, which was an excellent opportunity to see and shape trends in this space.

I recently joined the team at SustainabilityWorks, a consultancy on a mission to help Ireland accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy. We are a unique team comprised of experts in sustainability strategy, finance, policy, innovation and communications. I really enjoy having the opportunity to support Irish businesses to make the necessary shift towards more sustain able business models.

It is exciting to be part of this change, I love the pace of innovation in this space. For me it’s all about looking beyond traditional business models based purely on profit and figuring out how a business can deliver more.

In my opinion this is not a question of if, it’s when! It’s not going to be a trend much longer, it is just going to be business as usual.

We have a lot to do in terms of educating leaders that this is not about sacrificing profit, and the importance of thinking long term rather than short term. To integrate sustainability into the core business, it has to start at the top with leadership commitment and creating an environment for employees where they can become part of the change. It has never made more sense for a business to act on sustainability.

All the questions we had earlier, like ‘is this the right time’ or ‘do people care’, are all answered.

There are two common misbeliefs regarding sustainability in business:

1. That you are conflicting with commerciality once you start talking about sustainability.

2. Thinking that sustainability can be a side project.

The biggest mistake to be made right now is to underestimate how much people care about this issue, how much they are looking for businesses to provide solutions, and how much longer are they willing to wait to see the changes that they demand.

There is a whole new generation of conscious consumers who are asking for this; employees are choosing workplaces that align with their values; investors are looking for additional information on environmental and social factors. All stakeholders are pushing businesses to drive climate action.

The quicker a business moves, the better they can leverage the benefits and opportunities of climate action. We have to understand that we have limited time left to make these changes, so a sense of urgency needs to come into the mix. We can all do something about it, and we need everyone to get involved, it is not just for people with sustainability in their title.

Embracing social innovation in education

"The traditional business model is to look for solutions that would be commercially viable to find a feasible gap in the market. However, if you are starting with a social, environmental challenge first and then finding out how to make the solution financially sustainable, you are in essence, creating a social enterprise. This can be more complex in terms of achieving goals on multiple levels (social, ethical, environmental), yet these ventures must also remain competitive against other more traditional business offers that are available on the market

It is vital that individual’s do not get caught up with praise when embarking on a social enterprise. I often notice that when people are presenting their idea about a social enterprise or purpose-driven business that they get a lot of acknowledgement. Of course, this can be justified as they are attempting to do something positive for a community.

Yet social entrepreneurs must continue with more probing questions like ‘That’s great that you liked our idea, but would you buy the product? Would you pay for it? Why? Why not?’

Especially in the beginning, when they are not actually on the market yet, the overwhelming feeling of being praised for their mission, might cloud their judgement and leave important business questions out of the equation.

There is a difference between “a customer should buy” and “a customer will buy”.

When I work with students who are passionate and have a clear vision with their socially driven idea for an enterprise, it is imperative that they base their project in reality. A robust feasibility study based on sound evidence and research helps to pre-empt any issues, test all assumptions and remove any entrepreneurial bias.

Sometimes I will advise them to allow an independent researcher lead a focus group or interview, someone who is not emotionally invested in the results. Being too close to it can affect how you will question and react, and will influence those who are providing their insights to you.

Distancing yourself from your idea can lead to crucial discoveries to address difficulties, which better reflects on reality. As a result, you have a better chance to achieve your goals.

Usually, value-driven companies start from a personal trigger moment and want to find a better way to deal with a particular challenge. To stimulate social enterprise within education, we allow students to explore social problems in a safe environment and provide experiences that would enable them to connect with these social groups or challenges.

Empathy is fundamental to build a solution that solves the real problem rather than just scratching the surface or dealing with misleading perceptions.

I am an ENACTUS faculty advisor, which is a global movement to inspire social innovation through entrepreneurial actions in third-level education. This programme helps to create a learning experience that inspires this empathy, critical thinking, and innovation irrespective of a student’s degree choices or intending career path.

I am always amazed by the ideas and solutions presented at the end of the programme. Homelessness the climate, mental health, the refugee crisis – these students put their hearts into creating robust, profit-making and viable social enterprise concepts that will help. Some even pursue their ideas and create real ventures.

I feel fortunate to work with them and see the shift in their thinking that will shape future workplaces and the world of business, including its ethos.

Marketing as a force for good

"Marketing is changing because the world is changing. The younger generation just thinks about brands and consumes in a different way which is challenging businesses to change too. Accessible and affordable sustainability products are becoming more of a trend on the market, and people are actively seeking out these alternative options as opposed to traditional offers.

One of the biggest barriers in the making that mainstream is that they are just not accessible to everybody.

To achieve a just transition to a more circular and net-zero carbon economy, we need to think about solutions that are available to all.

New businesses are more likely to put purpose in their core right from the ‘get-go’ phase and build a connection with their consumers from there. For existing businesses, especially for more prominent brands, it’s a challenge to find an authentic voice. Even when young people start seeing businesses shift, they don’t always trust it right away.

Greenwashing or the perception of greenwashing is something that these companies have to overcome at the first place.

It’s not just about changing for the better and doing good – being able to communicate this effectively to people is crucial.

Communication enables people to make a purchase decision based on values or purpose – and also puts pressure on competitors to do the right thing too.

It is evident by now that the days of 100 page CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) reports are gone. You need to make sure that your stakeholders are engaging with the content that you are producing. It has to be attractive – even fun – and easy to digest. The element of fun in social mission might be surprising, but it is a great way to get people involved.

Brand activism is something that we do a lot to raise awareness and connect global issues with a brand. We did a campaign for the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand where we created ice sculptures of politicians at public spaces, using a motto ‘if it’s melted it’s ruined’. The link between climate justice and the brand manifested in a way that made it easy to get the attention of their audience.

For new businesses, once the purpose is at the core, it will guide everything they do. A strong purpose will fuel a more impactful, trustworthy and authentic communication.

Personally, I think that this mindset could be the next norm in creating better businesses: take a step back, look around to identify social, environmental issues and find a way to tackle those by creating a financially viable organisation.

When we started to work with Tony’s Chocolonely, it already had a powerful social mission to make a chocolate that is 100% slave-free. The brand was built by journalists who saw the dark side of the chocolate supply chain – including child labour and modern slavery. They decided to start an experiment to see if they could make a slave-free chocolate bar, which led to start a business and build a brand to raise awareness.

In this case, it was creating profit from the purpose and not the other way round, which I think is inspirational for start-ups.

Marketing, for me, is about finding out why we do certain things! I studied philosophy in college, and it fascinates me how much it matters to raise the question of ‘why’ before we do anything. It inspires me to look at the world differently.

I thought a lot about walking away from the corporate world, but then I realised that probably I could have a more significant impact from the inside by working with businesses.

I believe that a brighter future lays before us if we are willing to question certain things and go through an ideology shift. We need to change people, culture, and why we create a business in the first place with the focus on what its function in society. I definitely suffer from eco-anxiety about what’s happening in the world with climate change, loss of habitats and the uncertainty of the next few decades.

With my work at the THINKHOUSE youth marketing agency, I feel like I’m doing something about it and face these challenges front on. I don’t want to sleepwalk through this crisis that we are in and ignore it. I want to have an impact on what is happening and be able to look back on my life and see that I did what I could.

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