Navigating Green Conversations

In the first episode of "Sustainability Unveiled," Marissa Rosen, founder of Climate Social, shares her journey and insights on sustainability. Emphasizing social media's power, she encourages accountability and transparency. Reflecting on the positive shift in sustainability over the past decade, Marissa offers strategies for embracing eco-friendly practices. Beyond business, she highlights the crucial role of communities in driving change. Join the movement, contribute to the dialogue, and take steps for a more sustainable future! 

Speaker Contact Information: 
Marissa Rosen LinkedIn
Climate Social LinkedIn
Climate Social Website

#EELeaderUnveiled

Transcript

0:06

Welcome to ANA Leader Sustainability on failed a brand new podcast podcast launching in February of 2024. In this inaugural episode, we dive into a compelling conversation with Marissa Rosen, founder of Climate Social. As she shares insights on navigating the complex world of sustainability and environmental advocacy for her clients. Marissa, with a background in communications and a master's degree in environmental studies, sheds light on her journey from the Midwest to the East Coast and back. Culminating in the creation of her business climate social in 2015. She emphasizes the power social media as well as other marketing avenues and holding companies accountable and fostering transparency in the pursuit of genuine sustainability. Exploring the evolution of sustainability and business, Marissa reflects on the positive shift she's witnessed over the past 5 to 10 years. Sharing strategies to motivate individuals and communities to embrace sustainable practices, especially through marketing avenues. The conversation extends beyond business to the crucial role of local communities in driving change. Marissa encourages listeners to engage in conversations at various levels, whether at home, in the workplace, or through digital platforms, with a passionate call to action for individuals and businesses and specifically businesses. This episode inspires listeners to join the movement, contribute to the dialogue, and take practical steps forward to more sustainable future. I have the pleasure today of sitting down with a pioneer in sustainability marketing, helping businesses grow and continue on their path to a more sustainable future. My name is Jessica Hunt, and I am going to be your podcast host as one of the co owners of environment and energy leader. So welcome to Sustainability Unfailed. And welcome, Marissa. I am so thrilled to be able to work together and have you as our first speaker to officially kick off this new podcast. Thank you so much, Jessica. Pleasure to be here with you today. Our things in Pittsburgh. Things are snowy today. It's January, so it's been a cold year. It's been nice, but I'm looking forward to that warmer weather as well. Yes. I I I definitely understand that. And I do wanna thank you for being on with us. I know we could spend hours upon hours and days talking about sustainability, but Let's just dive right into the birth of climate social in 2015. So really, how did your background prepare you for changing the dynamics in field of sustainability and marketing. Well, thank you so much for, again, having me here today. It's been an adventure. I did start climate social in 2015. And before that, had a undergraduate and career in communications, and then worked in higher ed at the University of Pennsylvania. So I that opportunity to further my education and get a master's in environmental studies. And at that point in time, I came out of this program in 2012. It was really was starting to rise to the scene. Companies and individuals were getting set up on LinkedIn and Twitter and beginning to use these tools for business. And so I was fortunate to be able to pivot then and start my career path and what it is now. And so what I still do is helping companies to really find their voice, to advocate, to tell their mission, and their story to their stakeholders, and consumers And, you know, why is that important? And these digital tools have been advancing over the past decade, but still we're still using the same core tools of, you know, having that website, having your digital presence on LinkedIn and Twitter. And I've been helping dozens of organizations to be able to understand and best utilize these platforms to really get their voice out there and to to have a voice in the marketplace and to tell you know, their sustainability journey, um, about the good work that they're doing. Just wonderful. And marketing is such a big part of any business and with the world that we live in. Sustainability is at the forefront of that. So I know you have worked with a lot of organizations when it comes to preparing them for questions their consumers might have or stakeholders might have Can you talk a little bit just because it's been in the news so much frequently more frequently today? Any type of accusations about green washing or you know, as we were preparing for this conversation, you mentioned the term green hushing. So I'd love to hear a little bit more about that. Sure. We've heard that term greenwashing for so long. It's when companies want to put forward the image that they are so sustainable, but in fact, they might not be as green as the consumer has led to believe. And now we're actually seeing the reverse of that trend, which is a term that my client's south pole termed last year, a coined last year with the release of one of their net zero reports, green hushing. And so it's the opposite effect of that. It's when companies are in fact doing a lot of work. They are working on decarbonization. They are trying to decrease their footprint and work towards net 0. However, they feel that for one reason or another, they are not able to be so vocal about it. That has to do with pressure in the political environment that we see and, you know, them just not wanting to stick their neck out there so much for fear of backlash for fear of scrutiny of what they're doing because maybe they aren't quite perfect yet, but they are working towards their better goals. And so if they're not where they see themselves as being quite perfect yet, they might just be green hushing. So at this point in time, we really need companies to be able to be more loud and proud about the work that they're doing. If they are taking those steps, if they're leading in their industry and trying to find those ways to green their supply chain, to move to renewables, to help offset, to just ensure that they are following best practices, and hiring more diverse employees. It's really it's great to be proud and vocal about it. And so companies should be using those opportunities as PR moments and using them to their advantage and helping to push forward the movement inside of their industry and inside of business. And I couldn't agree with you more. And some of the topics that you mentioned I've actually spoken about with many of our clients where sustainability is a journey. And we live in the world of transparency, and we don't don't expect perfection. And I think when companies can show that they really are on a journey that they are making changes based on the data that they are collecting to make their companies more sustainable or you know, really focus on renewables in their sector. I I think the company will go that will go a long way with consumers and with stakeholders. And you know, being transparent is better than not and as long as, you know, clients see that. Think that, you know, we're all on the on the on the right journey. And that's where the tools of communications and marketing are so important as well. Being able to tell your story, tell your journey on your website, days, and your leaders as your advocates so that their networks can be made aware of what you're doing and how you're, you know, moving forward and and what you're doing to progress sustainable business. I know a couple of examples that E And E Leader recently wrote about over the past year included the Asheville, North Carolina based wicked weed brewing company as they were the 1st craft brewery in the US to actually use that standardized recycling label from the how to recycle program. And then I know another one that we had talked about, Jessica, was how Robbie and Ellie at Norton Point has created the 1st eyewear brand out of ocean plastics. And so those innovators really are, you know, taking a stance using some of those tools that already exist. Um, we know that OSHA plastics are a huge problem. For example, we know that recycling is a big problem. So how can business actually address these issues and make it a win win? To help us clean up the supply chain and use those materials that are already in existence and create new products that consumers really want. Yeah. No. I mean, Circularity and, you know, putting products back into use in different methods. That's something that, you know, I think quite a few companies that I have worked with are really, really jumping into and pushing for advancement in. And, you know, you mentioned it it's taking a risk. And without risk, the way I look at it is it's it's very hard to grow. If you don't take risks. And by these companies taking the risks and really showing their network, the you know, they are growing and that they are really taking the time to analyze the data to figure out what they can do at the company level to move into a more sustainable business is something that I know I as not just a business owner, but consumer. Really do look at and appreciate. Consumers are paying more attention, and they really are supporting companies that are at the forefront of these movements. The companies that are boasting on their labels you know, not in a greenwashing way, but that are legit using renewables that are using recycled materials that are not using toxins in their products. Those are things that I look for when I go to, you know, Target, for example, and I'm shopping for care products, for my family, I'm gonna look for those things, and I'm gonna support. It might be a tiny bit more expensive, but I'm gonna support those companies that I know are truly practicing sustainable business. And we've seen in report after report that the younger consumers, the next generation, particularly females, and, you know, Just a larger percentage of shoppers these days in the US are looking for companies that are mission driven and Ford and loud and proud about their sustainability initiatives. That's true. And I know one of the things that we had talked about as being mothers and is really sending an example too, you know, for the next generation, not just the people that we work with today, but it's important I talk to my kids about sustainable practices. We practice, you know, recycling. We have solar power, on our roof. So our, you know, we are generating a ton of energy for our, you know, us to use. It was a big question to them. Why aren't we putting solar on our roof? Why aren't we just gonna pay, you know, for power? So it's it's these teachable moments that aren't going to transcend the next generation. Absolutely. Yeah. And it's starting younger and younger. As you and I've also talked about, our students, our kids, and their public schools are teaching climate change. They're teaching sustainable living habits that were not a part of our curriculum when we were younger. And so this is, you know, coming from a young age, carrying with them through high school, college, and into their careers. And so this is just, you know, the way of the next generation, but in a positive way. Definitely, definitely a positive way. Well, again, I know we could talk about so many so many different topics on here, but I wanna jump into sustainable leadership practices and how there is such an urgency for it. And I know you work, and we talked a little bit about your work with the WBCSD and So how has your experience working with this organization really helped prepare strategies for smaller and medium sized businesses who might not necessarily have all of the resources, but really do want to make their presence known as a sustainable company. Sure. Thank you for that question. One of my longstanding clients is the WBCSD, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. They're a nonprofit of about 200 plus Global Corporations that are multinationals, and it's a CEO driven initiative. So they're focusing pre competitively on specific areas such as forestry and in the tire industry and different places where companies can come together and share their best practices. So what we're also doing is helping to tell the stories, share the reports, share the research, and the knowledge that's coming out of what the companies are doing together, So that's great, you know, practices that are accessible publicly that can help small to medium sized businesses as well. Particularly as they are important as they are the supply chain. So most clients of climate social tend to be that medium, small, medium sized business, that are either the service providers or the innovators. I work with companies that are, you know, helping those corporations to implement on their ESG strategies and reporting disclosures and what they must be doing in that space. Then I'm also working with companies in the EV tech carbon tech, ag tech space that are coming up with really new and innovative solutions that they can use in the supply chain that the corporations really need to be turning to. And and it's been a great journey for me of climate social to be able to understand what these different organizations across industries are doing, and we're helping them to tell their story. They need to have, you know, solid brand presence, get out there through, media use, you know, outlets such as any leader to share their latest, their press releases, and then tell their stories about how they're really going to market. Um, and we've been able to tell stories of, you know, how some of these smaller companies or maybe they're only a 100, 200 employees are being funded because people are trusting in them and believing them. And then they're going to work and to become part of the global supply chain with the corporations. So it's really it starts from Square 1, and communications and marketing is part of that story, part of that journey. So we'll work with them with their accounts team or marketing team if they have those supports in house. And get them out there into the media. We'll tell their story through social, help them produce videos or podcast themselves, and really make sure that they're grabbing that attention. I do wanna jump into trends as I know we are gonna be running out of time for our And one of the biggest trends I've noticed, somebody doing events is the number of in person events, how they have increased since this we are done with the post COVID air, even though COVID is still around and really smaller meetups where people can network and really have the one on one connections So is that something that you are noticing too as you speak with different clients? It is. I am noticing even just finding events on LinkedIn and knowing what's going on in the space, there are a lot of smaller ones. There are still certainly the big conferences that are having a couple thousand people attend, but, um, you know, I know that here locally, I'm involved in the GBA, the Green Building Alliance of Pittsburgh, where it's mostly built environment professionals, but also others that are in the ecosystem that are coming together to discuss what's going on locally here in Pittsburgh I'm aware of other organizations in the sustainable business space that are hosting different meetups around the country, like in Cleveland or in Sanford, Connecticut, where they're pulling together local industry leaders for maybe a morning breakfast or for a happy hour where they can find them So they don't have to take a big trip in an airplane across the country, but they can really connect a network with those locally to them. And that just makes sense on many levels to be able to support each other in person and to support your local economy. Also, I've been noticing that, um, you know, post COVID, there still are a lot of virtual events taking place. Yes. There are the smaller local events, you know, across different cities and And that makes great sense. But even too, like, E And E Leader has been offering every year the solution summit. You know, in 2023, you had some of your clients and key speakers, like jump associates, velocity, EHS, you had quality, and then, like, the material innovator microcycle, which was such a cool company to learn about. And then your energy leaders like Schneider Electric and Amresco, I know that they were all part of your 2023 summit. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do in June of 2024 too and who comes to join this year's event. But I love that you're still meeting people where they're at because In reality, not everybody can either afford or can physically get on to an airplane and go across the country to go to an event. So to still have these engagements that are online that are accessible to anybody, not just in the US, but around the world too, for people that are either already deep ingrained in the sustainability community, or maybe they're just interested in trying to learn what's out there and trying to understand the space, you know, your event is a great opportunity for that. I know all of your recordings are available on demand now too, which is great and, you know, open access free to anybody. Yeah. No. I and one of the and thank you for mentioning this summit. One of the most important aspects of running this company for from myself and for Sarah is that we try to practice sustainability. We we try to utilize the resources we have to you know, broaden our reach. And we had over 75 countries represented at last year's solution summit. So we really are trying to make the the connections available to people at the global level. That is one of our big initiatives. So that's something that is extremely important to our team at E And E Leader. Now, staying on the theme of trends, how are you helping the leaders that you work with and your clients prepare for any new trends or changes that you might see coming down the pipeline? Sure. It's a great question. There are so many things. It feels like changes and trends are happening faster and faster as we go along. Right? And so one thing we've talked about is AI. And that is just everywhere. It's on headlines every day, and I think companies no matter what your role, no matter what your industry, or trying to figure out how to use those tools and how that might affect you in the near and long term future, even in the communications and marketing space we work in, Jessica, we know that this is going to affect us. And so we are each, I think, trying to embrace these tools and figure out how we can best use them for our advantage. So companies across the supply chain, from those that are creating materials to creating products, to the end retailers are trying to figure out, you know, what are the best AI tools that are gonna be available at our fingertips soon and how can we get ahead of our competition? How do we ensure that we stay in business and how do we make those pivots in a timely fashion that's gonna not disrupt our supply chain, not disrupt our employees, not, you know, not disrupt our community and our stakeholders, shareholders, and and users, but, you know, how can we start to implement those now? So that is one thing that I think is front and center in the mind of most business leaders. Um, another trend that we're seeing is just data that companies are really needing to gather data at a granular level and report it up through the supply chain. Currently, we're seeing regulations over in the EU as well as in California. And at some point in the really near future, we know that SEC is going to be requiring disclosure from larger companies within the US. So how can companies get ahead of that game. They need to be already measuring their footprint, measuring, and monitoring to ensure that they're becoming more sustainable and then being able to report and disclose in the appropriate fashion. So sometimes they're using a third party, sometimes they those sort of capabilities in house internally with a CSO or sustainability directors, but It is certain that if you're not already on that path and following that journey to become a more sustainable business and talking about it, disclosing your metrics, you will be required to do so in the not too distant future. No. That and that's those are the trends that I'm seeing as well. And a question that comes frequently when I have discussions with clients or just listeners on different webinars that we run is companies don't know where to start sometimes. Sometimes it just the data just seems so overwhelming, and the task seems so overwhelming, and the theme and the consistent piece of advice that professionals give is just start. Start start somewhere. You know, what is your why? What is your company's why? What what is important to your stakeholders? Now this could be shareholders, as we mentioned before, employees, customer base. What's important to them and and really focus on, you know, 1 or 2 thing, 1 or 2 action points to collect data on and then move from there. Because it's better to start small than not start at all. Right. Excellent. Excellent. Well, I know we are gonna be finishing up this conversation soon. And I really would love to hear any advice, you know, you have for the next generation coming up. We did touch a little bit about how kids are learning these days, you know, sustainable practices, the impacts that climate change and the impact that their specific decisions have on on the planet, but, you know, what advice do you have for them? And then I would love to know what piece of advice you would give to 8 year eighteen year old, Marissa. Thank you. Those are great questions. And believe it or not, I've been having this question a lot lately. I just joined on LinkedIn this open door climate movement hashtag open door climate, and take a look at it. I've been getting an influx of messages from people, from all over the world, all ages, all sorts of levels at their career that are interested in working in climate. And it's fascinating. I just had a conversation with a school teacher the other day who wants to learn how she can pivot and work in climate. So people do care. People want to be able to feel like they're contributing to climate action. And no matter what that professional career path might look like, So but it now I'm finding, you know, it really does start younger even at the public high school in the district that my children are in. They're integrating SDG curriculum into their business school, into the business parts they have there. So it is starting at a younger age, and it's really great. They're t they're taking the high schoolers and working with companies here locally. To bring them to site and so that the sustainability leaders can even talk to the students about what they're doing and how they're impacting the SDGs. So that's one example. So students now also have greater opportunity if they choose to go to a 4 year school. There are just more programs that are focused on sustainability definitely than there were 10 or 20 years ago. I recently learned that the University of California now has a Sustainability 101 class, similar to what will be required for an English 101 or math 101, sustainability is just part of the core curriculum. So that's an example. I know that a lot of business schools are also offering more programming for the public, for people who are already professionals locally to be able to plug in and not go for that 4 year degree or that MBA, but to just get a extra sort of certificate that says that they understand ESG and sustainable business, and they're ready and prepared to work in that space. So whether that's the younger, the eighteen year old looking at upper opportunities or the working professional who wants to pivot and get into working and sustainability. There's definitely so many more opportunities now I'm sure that there will continue to be more and more opportunities as time does on. Definitely. And that the opportunities are there and and pivoting I am a career changer. I was a a teacher for ten and a half years. And then so I I I get the pivoting and the importance of networking and, you know, really getting in and and learning as much as you can about what you would like to do in this world and and helping, you know, to to really further the mission of a sustainable, uh, sustainable global footprint. Absolutely. And I get it too. A little known fact about me is I had a short stint as a career flight attendant. I did not know that in in in research for this interview. So thank you. That's our our fun fact from Marissa for saying that that those wouldn't that not everybody knows. That's how you can. I mean, you can really pivot. It's never it it is it's never too late to pivot at all in your career. If you if you are passionate about something and you have the ability to to make that change. So alright. Now eighteen year old, Marissa, what advice are you giving her? My gosh. I would say continue to follow your heart. Honestly. I always was interested in the environment and sustainability. I didn't even know that word at the time when I was eighteen years old, but when I did my undergrad in communications, I did a minor in bio because I just was so passionate about science and the environment. Later up, you know, later on wound up in this career path. But I think it is still follow your heart. And you can still follow your path in sustainability no matter what. You can work as a doctor and you can work in public health and you can still be advocating for sustainable practices within your practice. You can work in law. You can work in any career field. Obviously, we're talking mostly about sustainable business here, but even so, there's unless industries in which you might be able to enter, follow your heart, and also just be working towards that mission that we're all working towards is for a more sustainable, healthy future for ourselves and for our next generation for our grandkids. Right, Jessica? Yeah. No. I I couldn't agree more, and I think I can't underscore the importance of networking. Utilize LinkedIn to your really get out there, create a profile, make those connections, seek mentorship opportunities. That's something that pretty much every I expert and industry leader that I've worked with over the past 4 to 5 years has told me is we want to mentor The next generation. We wanna provide, you know, a space where we can teach and help that next generation grow and, you know, really make connections in their own network, but expands so that they can be where they wanna be. They can have the job they wanna have. And so, again, I'm not I don't wanna, you know, to LinkedIn too much because we all use LinkedIn, but it's great resource. It is such a fantastic resource for, you know, college students as well as professionals. Absolutely. And that is Honestly, what I do every day is to help people to improve their presence on LinkedIn to figure out how to put your best foot forward, how to use those tools to network at a post, how to talk about the accomplishments that you have, or what you're working towards, or even ask questions that you have on posts or to others in messages. How can you best use that tool? So I am the hugest advocate. I am I'm the biggest advocate of LinkedIn and the tool that it is. I mean, it really is pretty much everybody is on it these days in the business world. If I'm trying to find somebody ninety percent chance, I can find them on LinkedIn, and I can reach directly out to them and pick up a conversation. So for that eighteen year old who's trying to explore what their career path might look like or even figure out what steps they should take if they're going to the college and have a desire to work in sustainability using that tool of LinkedIn to be able to find people that work at different companies that align with their interests and reach out and and send them a message. And, you know, oftentimes people really will be accepting and want to help other want to help the next generation, they'll be happy to have a quick chat with you and learn some advice. Oh, no. I couldn't agree more. And I it's great too for, you know, making connections with people from your past that you might not have known. For example, I came across a post from a guy I went to high school with who's a venture capitalist in a tech now. So, you know, those type of of posts really are important for helping spread the word. Those I didn't know that he was doing this. So for for me to see that. It's it's definitely an avenue where, you know, I can make a new connection on a different level than just the personal level that we have, the personal connection. Marissa, I cannot thank you enough for being on with us today for our kickoff episode. I know the listeners probably have additional questions or wanna connect with you. So please feel free to connect with Marissa on LinkedIn as well as climate social, and don't forget to follow any leader and subscribe to our podcast. But thank you again, Marissa. I hope we get the chance to work together. Sooner than later. In the next 60 seconds, ask yourself, how can I contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future not just personally, but professional? Let's embark on this journey together and shape the landscape of sustainable leadership for tomorrow. Take the first step now and make a commitment to lead with sustainability in mind. That's all for this episode of sustainability unveiled Join us next time as we continue exploring the forefront of sustainable business practices. Until then, stay informed Stay sustainable.