DEI, Sustainability Teams Are Linchpins of Future-Proof Organizations

Two rich discussions at SB’24 San Diego highlighted the importance of giving sustainability and DEI their rightful attention, resources and integration within successful corporate strategies.

Published 1 day ago | About a 8 minute read

Image: Kindel Media

Embed sustainability into company culture by finding what matters most to people

L-R: Philippa Lockwood, Kevin Hagen, Gil Friend, Catherine Musulin, Bea Boccalandro & Simon Mainwaring | Image credit: Sustainable Brands

“How can we embed sustainability into our workplace culture, and make it an everyday activity for everybody?”

“How do we get buy-in from to- level executives for our sustainability efforts?”

“What about succession planning? How do I get people to care about sustainability if I leave?”

These were some of the questions on delegates’ minds during one of the opening workshops at SB’24 San Diego. Moderated by Philippa Lockwood, Manager of Sustainable Ingredients at Mondelez International, the session promised to explore how brands can intentionally ‘cultivate’ sustainability advocates and champions within all layers of an organization.

Among the panelists hoping to provide some answers (or at least guidance), Gil Friend — CEO of the consultancy, Natural Logic — helped to give the session some context.

“Sustainability is not about doing less damage to the planet. It’s not about doing a little bit better while maximizing returns for shareholders either,” he said. For him, brands should think of sustainability as the act of doing business “as if the organization belonged to the living world.”

Armed with a long list of compelling findings from her book, Do Good at Work, Bea Boccalandro urged brand leaders in the audience to be unapologetic in their efforts to engage colleagues on ESG issues. The business case for involving employees in subjects including biodiversity and human rights is so strong that sustainability professionals no longer need permission, she said: “You are giving business value.”

Her research points to clear upticks in health, happiness and performance by giving people purpose and meaning to their work: “It’s not just young people that want meaningful work. Nearly all employees are pining for purpose in what they are doing. Too many people are lifeless and listless, shuffling their way through the working day because they don’t have a purpose. The sustainability profession can solve that; it’s like giving people a vitamin. But you only need trace amounts of it to make a difference.”

So, how do you do that? The crowded tables of delegates were thirsty for practical examples for turning employees — and senior executives, especially — into sustainability advocates and champions. Crucially, addressing ESG issues cannot be seen as an add-on.

“If people say they don’t have time for sustainability, it’s about trying to understand the barriers — and identifying how sustainability can impact their operations or business,” offered Catherine Musulin, Head of Mission and Sustainability at Horizon Organic. Often, the key is avoiding the ‘S’ word, using terms such as ‘efficiency’ to activate people’s passions. “We are Chief Translation Officers,” she added.

The secret sauce for engagement can be applied by simply being successful, offered Kevin Hagen. The former sustainability lead at Iron Mountain gave the example of what he’d seen happen at Walmart under the leadership of former CEO Lee Scott: “People being noticed for their contribution towards sustainability projects were being promoted faster than other people. And that’s because those people were creating more value for the business, not because they were 'green.'”

Meanwhile, We First’s Simon Mainwaring said if sustainability folk want to bring colleagues along with them, “you have to meet people where they are.” And when it comes to convincing leadership to take ESG issues seriously, yes — it’s about building a business case and assessing the competitive landscape. But more important than that, it’s about calculating and communicating the cost of not acting.

“That’s when they freak out. It’s fun to scare people in leadership positions,” he said, acknowledging the power of climate-modeling software such as Nvidia’s Earth 2 in showing executives just how bad the future might get.

The panelists agreed that the sustainability profession faces an uphill battle in turning colleagues into sustainability champions. “Instead of asking the CSO, ‘what have you done for me lately,’ the power lies in making sustainability everybody’s responsibility,” Mainwaring added. “In sharing the burden, you can build more resilience in the business.”

Friend wrapped up the session with some warm words of encouragement.

“Communication is not just about what we say, it’s about listening to what people care about and finding out what motivates them,” he added. “Despite our apparent differences and the things we argue about, most people care about the same things but speak about them in different ways.”

Check out more highlights from throughout the week at SB’24 San Diego!

‘Where DEI lives in a business determines whether it will live’

Image credit: Kampus Production

The notion that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and sustainability share a common goal — creating long-term value for society — forged its path through all the conversations, comments and questions heard during a dedicated Wednesday afternoon session on the subject. By fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, companies are likely to not only financially outperform their peers — they’re better equipped to address complex challenges by developing more comprehensive and impactful sustainability strategies.

A clinical professor in Organizational Leadership for the Bard MBA in Sustainability, Renay Loper’s personal definition of sustainability is clear: “It is shared wellbeing on a healthy planet. Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion,” she said in opening the session as moderator.

The panel were asked to explain where DEI sits — or should sit — in organizations in 2024. Khalilah “KO” Olokunola, founder and Impact Architect at ReEngineering HR, made a point that resonated with the audience: “Where DEI lives determines whether it will always live.” It needs to be the responsibility of somebody full time, she added — not in human resources (“that’s about recruiting”): “If nobody’s responsible for it, it’s nobody’s responsibility and it won’t survive.”

Francis Janes, Industry Relations and Partnerships Director at Beneficial State Foundation, concurred — saying that where DEI was embedded in HR functions, there wasn’t as much integration of DEI considerations with the sustainability team. And for Nani Vishwanath — who heads up Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Innovation at outdoor apparel brand REI — DEI teams are crucial in challenging industries and the status quo, inside and out: “Traditionally, it was white, able-bodied men who spent time outside. But people from all backgrounds have a relationship with nature, and we are trying to bridge that gap and change that narrative.”

Asked to elaborate on the ‘how,’ Vishwanath described REI’s approach to inclusive design. She calls it the ‘cut curb effect,’ whereby designers created drop-away curbs to improve wheelchair access — a move that also benefits people using strollers and wheeling luggage. The company developed an entry-level backpack that helps customers overcome several barriers and recently introduced its first non-gendered apparel collection, acknowledging that customers have a “mosaic of identities.”

“We listened. We improved affordability, we changed the colors — people were saying ‘less beige, please; I want to look like myself out on the trail.’ Sizing matters, too,” she said

These changes are being made as a result of listening to customers — but also by working with partners, including Latino Outdoors and Unlikely Hikers, she added. Now, the company has set out a series of product impact standards for its more than 1,400 suppliers on DEI. For example, they no longer procure safety helmets that do not consider different hair types — including coarse braids, for example — that might not fit into a standard helmet. “We’ve given our suppliers guidance. But we are not saying we are perfect; we certainly have room to grow.”

As the session wound down, the conversation circled back to KO’s earlier point about the importance of “where DEI lives:” In the small meeting room, alongside the positivity around DEI becoming a more mainstream concern for corporates, several delegates (and panelists) shared their disgruntlement that DEI issues aren’t given a bigger platform at events such as Sustainable Brands®. Accomplis Collective founder Kelly Beck agreed — saying that it was time for some good, old-fashioned honesty: “We stole land from Indigenous Peoples. Then, we exploited the land with stolen people. That’s why this work [DEI] is hard. We should be on the main stage, not in small rooms.”