When you look at the news these days, all the political chaos and growing polarity can get you down. When you look at progress in our sector, sustainability, you can get even more depressed, as sometimes it feels like very little headway is being made to fight climate change, nature loss, and pollution. Anxiety related to climate change is on a high. A landmark 2021 global study of 10,000 youths (16-25) on climate anxiety showed that 59% were very or extremely worried about climate change, with 84% at least moderately worried, and nearly half felt it affected their daily lives.[1] Many children feel that the future of the world is frightening.
It is therefore more important than ever to focus on the good news that we receive. We are very proud of our podcast, Women in Sustainability, which showcases the amazing, inspirational work being done by female sustainability leaders around the world. Starting in 2022, our CEO, Emily Fripp, has interviewed over 25 women, ranging from an 18-year-old local Dorset activist (Liv Bowditch) to the Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) (Frances Seymour).
Most recently, Emily interviewed Los Angeles Barea, an inspiring filmmaker whose latest award-winning documentary film, Green Superheroes 2030, follows 10 young environmentalists, ages 5 to 17, from around the world as they develop groundbreaking solutions to tackle climate change, from designing microplastic detectors to preserving the Amazon rainforest. Los Angeles explained that she believes that giving “hope, inspiration and ideas to people (especially children) to build…the momentum of change is so fundamental.” Another interviewee, Dr Éliane Ubalijoro, who is currently serving as the CEO of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR) and the Director General of World Agroforestry (ICRAF), talked about closely shaping what news and information she exposes herself to, in order to keep her morale up: “It’s important that we train algorithms to bring us good news, to bring us science, evidence to help us accelerate the work that needs to be done in the right direction….we have to be intentional about what we feed our brain in terms of all of that information out there. I think about it in terms of what is the nutrition I’m bringing to my brain…in the first hour of my day or the last hour of my day.”
The podcast seeks to represent a diversity of worldviews that remind us why we are fighting for greater sustainability and equality. Archana Soreng, who is a climate activist from the Khadia Tribe in Odisha, India, and currently a Skoll Fellow (an extraordinary leader who drives change in communities across the globe) and a climate adviser to the Rockefeller Foundation, shared fascinating stories of her work fighting for inclusive policy-making and implementation, as well as these powerful words: “We are not merely part of nature. We are nature…we, as indigenous communities and Aativasis communities, have always seen nature as a source of our identity, culture, tradition and language, unlike other communities who have seen and who see nature as a commercial commodity.”
In an episode that highlights some solutions and reasons for hope, Dr. Manon Littek, one of Europe’s leading early-stage investors in the agrifoodtech and deep tech industries, described some of the highly innovative and exciting investments in areas like regenerative agriculture and sustainable food production that she is involved with.
Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, the founder of Uganda’s Fridays for Future movement, talked about her work focused on saving Lake Victoria and stopping the East African crude oil pipeline construction. She spoke about the danger of being a climate activist in Uganda, where corruption creates an unstable playing field. On staying motivated in the face of danger, she noted, “For a person who really wants to be an activist and is really hopeful of the future…I would advise them that this is a really bumpy ride, but we need to stay hopeful because we don’t have a choice…we need to survive, and we need to fight on the front lines…we need to fight with all that we have got.”
Many of the interviewees share wonderful advice for people, especially young women, starting out in the field. Penny Davies, who has 35 years of experience working in the field of forestry, climate change and sustainable development around the world, said “I really would encourage people…if you want to work in international development, to get some practical, on the ground experience before trying to move up into project management or policy making and programming. Because without that depth, it’s difficult for you to really have quality, breadth when you get up to the…higher level. And it’s much more important what’s happening on the ground sometimes.”
Dr. Ines Smyth, a Gender and Women Rights consultant with over 30 years of professional experience in the fields of gender equality, gender-based violence, and gender mainstreaming noted that “showing your passion is important, because by showing your passion, you are also showing that this is beyond what you do as a job. This is real life, and you care about what happens to people.” Finally, she reminds us that “we are in it because we are looking for the kind of equality that allows everybody to benefit from what’s available and also allows all of us to become more resilient to the crisis that we are confronting.”