Is your career climate resilient?
The term “climate resilience” is often found in thick scientific reports of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). These reports often talk about the impact of storms and increasing global temperatures on far off regions that are hard to pronounce. It refers to food supply and economic problems in low income countries, and might be seen as a really important thing, for other people. But isn’t climate change going to change everything and the lives of everyone?
Yes, if it can affect the careers of established directors of ExxonMobil, it will likely affect you too.
Degrees of Separation
Many people have heard of the climate goal of limiting temperature rise to 2 or 1.5 degrees. Those who don’t work “in climate” should know that dealing with these temperatures will affect our daily lives and careers. This is due to the effect of the changing climate, and to the industry shifts that are needed to avoid the catastrophe. Your career’s connection to the climate is closer than you might think.
I’m sure it’s obvious that the coal miner is likely going to have to reexamine his career in the coming years (or perhaps just retire early). This is a major part of the discussion around President Biden’s Clean Energy Plan, and rightfully so. It’s the humane thing to do.
However, let’s say that you’re a Fortune 500 business advisor to companies and your chief aim has been to help them improve their bottom line. That basic idea is unlikely to go away, but you are probably going to have to take into account many more climate related issues to be successful. These issues could include climate-related business costs (like financial disclosures of climate related risks) and carbon pricing). You should also be aware of the importance of consumer sentiment. Consumers, investors, and governments expect companies to take meaningful action on the climate. These expectations will only grow as millennials take over the reigns of power. If you are unable to help businesses meet these new requirements, then you will be less valuable than those advisors that do.
Now, say you’re an Operations Manager with a medium sized company. For some industries, the role could be significantly affected by the climate transition. For instance, in a manufacturing company, the costs of certain products could change due to increased supply chain risks. Climate-related rules could also have an impact, like those on energy use or on material use or on emissions. Managers need to be able to prepare their operations to be more environmentally sound. They should understand that if they don’t some startup surely will. Similarly, a Construction Manager should consider the need to use low-impact tools such as renewable power. They must account for the growing expectations for green buildings for instance with LEED certification. As a Retail Manager, greenhouse gas emissions of your supply chains and products are important. But a fully extensive low carbon plan for retail looks at a lot more.
Managers and executives that aren’t examining how these changes could affect their career are at risk of being replaced by those who are. If this can happen to Directors of ExxonMobil, it can happen to you.
Striking Green!
What happened at ExxonMobil is instructive. Board directors fully supported by the company were replaced by three that were proposed by a tiny shareholder, Engine No1. The replacements were considered more able to adapt to the climate-focussed world. It’s not that they were purely climate activists or climate experts. Climate has often been referred to as a threat multiplier since it increases the volatility and risks. One must therefore be prepared for multiple climate-focussed futures, not the status-quo. Engine No1 indicated that the new board members were better at navigating the sustainability-focussed future than the incumbents. Also, they promote the idea that sustainability translates into long term shareholder value. Engine No1 really struck oil, you might say.
The Sun Also Rises
But not all changes are restrictive. This global shift to a low climate economy creates enormous opportunities for you and your career. Anyone interested in moving up the ladder should take note. For instance it’s clear that new energy projects are expected to be cleaner than the traditional fuels of coal, oil and natural gas. Solar, wind, biofuel, geothermal powered systems are the future and are cheaper in many cases. Electrification of everything is the future, you don’t need to be Elon Musk to see this. Resilient professionals should be on the lookout for how to associate with these trends as early as possible. You should be ready for any emissions costs and restrictions, and capture positive consumer interest. Clearly the manufacture of those new energy systems called for in Biden’s new plan requires several inputs and raw materials. Infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, and importation companies can explore these to increase their businesses. This can be good for their companies, consumers, shareholders, and their careers (not to mention the environment).
Adapting to the many other trends is also important. This includes digitization, awareness of social equity issues, entrepreneurship, influence of the BRICS countries, urbanization, and zoonotic diseases. Successful professionals will find creative ways to combine resilience strategies for multiple trends.
Becoming a Captain Planet of Industry
So how do you do that? Well I summarize the recommended approach as the Seek5 Strategy: seek understanding, seek measurement, seek neutrality, seek advice and seek opportunity.
Seek Understanding
It’s important to understand the summary of the science, and the expected impacts on business and policy. The vast number of sources of climate information, especially of scientific information, is astounding. The US Global Change Research Program has an extensive look at how climate change will affect the US. If you want a simpler source, highly simplified sources of science also exist. Project Drawdown (with which I was involved), The Solutions Project, and Yale University are all good sources for an overview of the climate and society.
In addition to reading a lot, you probably want to understand more deeply how the climate will affect you personally and professionally. For this, engaging with others is very useful. OnDeck has a 10-week Climate Technology Fellowship which brings together persons with climate interests. During the founding fellowship, I met really knowledgeable experts on the climate crisis overall and on specific technologies like carbon capture. I also met entrepreneurs and employees of big companies looking to explore quietly from all over the world. This is a fast way to get a deeper understanding of the challenges to society and make new professional connections. If you want to declare your knowledge to employers, you might even consider the Certified Climate Change Professional credential from the ACCO.
Seek Measurement
It’s important to understand your personal and professional relationships with the climate by measuring carbon footprints. Public interest in Carbon footprinting has wavered, but it’s a good tool to see how the systems you use daily contribute to the crisis. This is important for companies too since they will be called on to be transparent with their (direct, indirect, and induced) emissions. This starts with obtaining reliable tools and teams to start measuring their climate footprint. Only then can they respond to the national and international economic and policy changes that affect business. Many startups are working on making these tools easy.
Seek Neutrality
Support low carbon initiatives around the world as much as you can. This helps fund development projects such as clean cooking in Ghana or Kenya and renewable energy in Brazil or Southeast Asia. But this can also help support fledgling carbon reduction technologies until they are able to fully develop their business models. Carbon offsetting has its challenges. It should never be used as an excuse to pollute. However, there is a range of authoritative sources for certified projects that you can use to offset your historic emissions.
Seek Advice
The complexities of businesses make a one-size-fits-all approach impotent. There is a growing need for professionals with the knowledge both of one’s industry and of climate change strategies. Business professionals can partner with climate professionals to provide climate adaptation strategies. Better yet, business professionals can gain the climate knowledge themselves: become climate-certified and provide the service. If you don’t yet, you should engage your organization’s sustainability officer or team or search for someone who’s ACCO certified.
Seek Opportunity
Personal and professional growth is what motivates many of us. We can advance in the corporate world using a clear understanding of the new strategies of the climate future. If this sort of growth seems attractive to you, always be on the lookout for opportunities to promote climate action. Corporate America is already on that electric train. You can be the person to push your unit or company onto it. But here’s a word of advice: don’t greenwash. “Pretending to be and act green when you are not is way more dangerous [for you] than simply doing nothing”.
Whether You Think You Can or You Can’t, You’re Right
It’s rare that the interests and opinions of so much of the world align on an issue like they do on climate change. Sure, a vanishingly small minority doesn’t think that climate change is worth their time. Honestly, we no longer have time to debate whether climate change is real or whether humans caused it or whether we should act. It’s here, and the global wave to deal with it has already begun. It’s a good bet that preparing your career now for climate change will pay dividends for you, your children, the society, and the rest of nature on the planet. Climb the green ladder. Unlike your corporate strategy, there is no Plan(et) B.
