Advice from 7 leaders on thriving during sustainability’s ‘reckoning point’

Understand your company’s business as well as its best salesperson. Position sustainability as an “enabling function.” Plan for the long haul.

If corporate sustainability leaders want to thrive as business priorities shift and geopolitics downplay the urgency of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, these are among the best ways not just to remain relevant but to create new corporate value, according to seven leaders interviewed as part of a special Climate Pioneers project during Trellis Impact 25.

The executives represent companies from a range of industries — Apollo Global Management, Bristol Myers Squibb, HSBC, LA28, Mars, Visa and Workday.

They’re confident. “I firmly believe we are smarter than the problems we’re trying to solve,” said Kevin Rabinovitch, global vice president of sustainability and chief climate officer for food and candy company Mars, which is on track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction targets. Rabinovitch’s latest innovation is a procurement strategy that will triple its renewable electricity purchases.

They’re also realistic. “I don’t think it’s a luxury anymore that you can’t understand your business as well as your colleagues in sales, in the business, on the front line,” said Kelly Fisher, head of corporate sustainability for the Americas at financial services firm HSBC. She continues to see opportunity, for example, in financing technologies that will contribute to a low-carbon economy.

Their words of wisdom are featured in the video compilation below.

Other takeaways from the session:

‘Demonstrate business value’

“I think we’re at a reckoning point for all sustainability professionals that we need to demonstrate business value, and if we can’t do that, I don’t think we’re going to survive.” — Fisher, HSBC

‘Pace yourself’

“We’re all quite young intellectually, compared to a lot of problems that we’ve worked on as humanity, so there’s still lots of room for new and better ideas.” — Rabinovitch, Mars

‘Chase progress relentlessly’

“We know what good looks like. Let’s chase that. Don’t get paralyzed by trying to do the perfect commitment.” — Erik Hansen, chief sustainability officer and enterprise software developer at software purveyor Workday

‘Make sure you’re connected’

“If you are being seen as a pillar or a function that is outside of the organization and as a bolt-on, then you’re not going to be really able to effect the change and create the impact that you want.” — Jennifer Evans, executive director for sustainability and social impact at pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb

‘Train everybody you touch’

“Literally learn as much as you can about every business lever in your company.” — Dave Stangis, partner at the investment firm Apollo Global Management

‘Find your champions’

“That gives you proof points that you can then take to a more general audience, maybe even your skeptics.” — Becky Dale, vice president of sustainability for the LA28 Olympics

‘Lean on your peers’

“They’re still doing the work, and they’re convincing me that I can still get the work done.” — Rob Whittier, head of climate and sustainability for payments processor Visa