Impact, Sustainability & the Living Planet
“ Why is it so hard to put nature first rather than technology? Because if we don’t, we will have really tough times ahead. ”
That sustainability brings high costs with it. Both for companies as well as individuals, this is not true. For companies, investing in sustainability almost always means becoming more resilient, saving costs, and creating new opportunities. For individuals, focusing on more durable clothes or second-hand objects is not costly. It’s about making different choices, which in the long run will be less costly. And perhaps what I hear lately a lot: that sustainability is no longer “in fashion.” That might be true in the short run, or if you look from the ESG perspective, but actually a lot is happening, and not just behind the scenes. And so it should. Armand: In your view, how can leaders balance urgency with optimism when tackling long-term challenges like climate change? Nicole: In my view, urgency and optimism are not contradictory. I would think that one should always use positive ways of looking at the world, demonstrate alternative technologies, and point to new exciting developments to agendize important strategic decisions. Armand: There is a lot of talk about regenerative business models. How do you define regeneration in practical terms, and how do companies begin to adopt that mindset? Nicole: For me, it comes down to doing business in a way that leaves a positive footprint. Companies that have made a conscious choice to be future-forward are driven by purpose and create value for nature and society whilst still making profit. Examples are regenerative companies in agriculture, but also steward-owned companies. In essence, I feel that the leadership of companies needs to make the choice whether they want to be future-forward and then look at the various inspiring examples already existing, in their sector and beyond. Armand: Can you share a specific moment or project that felt like a breakthrough, where everything seemed to click in advancing the mission you believe in? Nicole: One moment was when I myself was standing in front of a group of employees as part of our employee engagement programme we had just kickstarted. I heard them discuss
measures and actions they could see themselves and others in the company take for a regenerative future. The same feeling I had during the first Climate Hub Davos. A session which featured, among others, world-renowned climate scientist Carlos Nobre and a chief from the Puyanawa tribe in the Amazon got participants discussing new and enhanced regenerative agriculture projects in the Amazon. Armand: Looking forward, what trends or opportunities are you most excited about in the climate space that you think will define the next decade? Nicole: On a more systemic level, I think it’s the steps I see being taken to transform the finance system; putting nature on the balance sheet, getting finance and the small businesses innovating and regenerating to speak the same language so they can invest with faith in the future. What I also see on a more personal level is a growing group of people, especially young people, pursuing a more balanced and conscious lifestyle, valuing community over individuality. Armand: If you had the floor with the world’s most influential leaders tomorrow in Davos, what one challenge would you put front and center, and why? Nicole: Why is it so hard to put nature first rather than technology? Because if we don’t, we will have really tough times ahead, living in a world where we cannot breathe well, resource scarcity is the norm, and extreme weather events prohibit us from working and living normally. We can then have the greatest AI models in the world, for example, but we will not be able to thrive nor survive.
Managing director GreenUp, initiator of the Climate Hub Davos NICOLE KELLER
DAVOS CLUB 77
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