Leadership for Sustainability

Hosted by Osbert Lancaster @ Realise Earth

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Mar 2025

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" I absolutely love it. Out of all of the different sustainability podcasts I listen to I’d recommend it to anyone working in sustainability." Libby Kerman, Sustainability Manager, Lincolnshire Housing Partnership. Want to get more colleagues supporting sustainability – and not just paying lip service to the idea but getting actively involved in making change happen? Most sustainability leaders focus on trying to build more persuasive arguments, instead of building more effective relationships. And that’s a problem. Even though they may not talk about it, four out of five people are concerned about the climate and nature crises, and do want to take action – if only they felt able to. But stronger arguments don’t make people feel more able to act. More effective relationships do. When you connect with colleagues over what really matters to them, you grow your network of active allies and work together better – and that’s exactly what you need to make change happen. In the Leadership for Sustainability podcast, we help you develop active allies and work together better so that you can make change happen: 🌍 Experience from 20+ years of leading on sustainability ourselves and advising others. 👥 Insights from psychology that shape our approach to sustainability leadership. 🗺️ Models and approaches we have developed and adapted, that you can apply in your work. Listen every month for rich insights and practical advice from our experienced team and our special guests – along with recorded highlights from our events for sustainability leaders.

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30 recent

March 7, 202532 min

Make change happen: turn colleagues into allies

How do you actually make change happen? What’s the right balance between collaboration and competition? How important is it to convince people about the importance of sustainability?Last year we (Osbert, Morag and Rich, co-founders of Realise Earth) headed for the hills of Westmoreland to camp, walk and talk – to see if we could pool our varied experiences of sustainability leadership to identify, and overcome, the fundamental challenge facing sustainability leaders. (We do our strategy and innovation out in nature.)That challenge, we agreed, is that action on sustainability comes up against other priorities, and this leads to conflict, which blocks progress.In this episode we lift the curtain on our conversations, to explain how and why, we not only came to this conclusion, but also came to realise the critical issue is that change needs collaboration, not conflict.We discuss why, to make change happen, you need to move beyond conflicting priorities and turn your colleagues and stakeholders into active allies working with you towards shared goals.Looking back at our very different careers in sustainability, we identify the common threads that underpin successful change, and talk through the practical five step approach we developed to help sustainability leaders make change happen:Map the systemDiscover what really mattersIdentify common groundInvite them to joinWork together for changeWe also discuss the core skills sustainability leaders need to work in this way, and share our experience of working with these ‘Inner Development Goals’ in corporate environments.Listen for rich insights and practical advice that you can apply right away to make change happen.You'll find all the links mentioned in this episode in the companion guide here:https://realise.earth/make-change-happen-a-how-to-guide/ 👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes…

August 9, 202426 min

Making sustainability something people care about

Daniella Vega is Senior Vice President of Health and Sustainability with Ahold Delhaize, a Dutch-Belgian multinational retail and wholesale holding company. Daniella talks with Osbert about this unusual role and the synergies between reducing emissions and improving health. She also talks about leading on Project Ocean, getting rid of single use plastic, as Group Director of Sustainability at the UK retailer Selfridge.Listen for insights you can apply in your sustainability work including:The value of connecting sustainability with other issues that matter to your stakeholders.How making big bold moves can be more effective than starting with the easy stuff.How to look after yourself and keep going when things are tough. You'll find all the links mentioned in this episode in the companion blog post here:https://realise.earth/making-sustainability-something-people-care-about/

July 10, 202449 min

Grappling with climate, biodiversity and the circular economy

“It’s no longer sufficient to think about sustainability through the climate lens. The challenge and the exciting thing now is really grappling with the interconnectedness of the biodiversity crisis and the opportunity and necessity of the circular economy.”In this episode I interview Sam Gardner, Head of Climate Change & Sustainability with Scottish Power, and formerly Head of Policy at WWF Scotland. In both these roles Sam has been closely involved in the climate and sustainability agenda in Scotland. In the conversation Sam talks about:The transformation of Scottish Power from oil and gas to entirely renewable energy sources.The importance of continuous engagement with staff and stakeholders, ensuring everyone in the organisation connects their work to climate goals.The need for a fair transition to net zero, and to deliver on biodiversity and the circular economy.Listen for great insights into the challenges of accelerating the pace of change while bringing colleagues with you, maintaining public support and ensuring a just a transition. Sam also talks about how he has kept motivated over many years of working on sustainability, offering useful ideas we can all apply ourselves and with our colleagues.You'll find the links mentioned in this episode in the companion blog post here: https://realise.earth/grappling-with-climate-biodiversity-circular-economy-and-a-just-transition/👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth.

May 31, 202439 min

How to succeed as a new sustainability manager

How do you get started as a brand new sustainability manager? Libby Kerman stepped into the newly created role of sustainability manager with Lincolnshire Housing Partnership just a year after university. Now, two years on, she reflects on what she’s achieved and learned.Libby talks about:the achievements she’s most proud ofwho and what helped her succeedtackling her next big task: sustainability reportingListen for ideas and inspiration to help you make greater progress on sustainability:why you sometimes learn most from people who resist changehow relationships with colleagues across the business have been crucialhow external networks of peers are so importantwhy you shouldn’t worry that you don’t have all the answerspodcasts that Libby has found useful on her journey You'll find all the links mentioned in this episode in the companion blog post here:https://realise.earth/how-to-succeed-as-a-new-sustainability-manager/ 👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth.

May 16, 202414 min

How to be a courageous sustainability leader

Courage is identified by the Inner Development Goals as one the key skills needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It takes courage to go against the flow. It takes courage to say things others don't want to hear. It takes courage to innovate and do things differently.That’s why, if you’re leading on sustainability, you need courage to make genuine progress.We recently brought together a number of sustainability leaders to discuss courage in their work – in construction, healthcare, engineering, public service, education and more.Listen now for powerful insights and practical advice that you can apply to be a more courageous and effective sustainability leader. Looking for support?If you’re wrestling with any challenges as a sustainability leader we might be able to help. Find out how at https://realise.earth/services 👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth.

May 3, 202432 min

Embedding sustainability in your organisation’s culture - the missing metric

At Realise Earth we’ve always been focused on helping sustainability leaders build support for, and catalyse action on, sustainability across their organisation.  A challenge is how to do this at scale.That’s why we’ve now partnered with the Most Sustainable Workplace Index which can help you do just that.I recently sat down with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Index, to hear his story. Listen to learn:Why Jaime believed the Index needed to existThe challenges Jaime faced and how he overcame themThe importance of seriously shifting the culture in organisations Whether or not the Index is relevant to you and your work, in itself this a fascinating story of sustainability leadership. You'll find contact details and other links mentioned in this episode in the companion blog post here:https://realise.earth/embedding-sustainability-in-your-organisations-culture-the-missing-metric/👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth. Mentioned in this episode:👉 Unlock Employee Action on Sustainability with the Most Sustainable Workplace IndexJoin us for a webinar with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Most Sustainable Workplace Index, and learn how the Index helps you tap into and unlock most employees’ latent motivation to transform your sustainability initiatives – Wed 22 May.Contact Us

April 16, 202413 min

Roundtable: Getting Beyond Net Zero

Climate is only one of the planetary boundaries we need to work on. And we also need to tackle a whole range of social issues.That's why item four and our sustainability leadership manifesto is: "develop and deliver initiatives that offer multiple benefits for people and nature". In this Roundtable event, our guests, sustainability leaders across a variety of sectors, reflect on their experience of trying to move the agenda beyond net zero in their work.Listen for insights from the sharp end about how to help colleagues to see the bigger picture and start engaging with the rest of the sustainable development goals.👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth.

March 10, 202434 min

Roundtable: Collaboration for Sustainability - What Works?

In this Roundtable event, our guests are:Sandrine Ricard, Deputy Director Sustainability & Responsibility with Pernod Ricard in the UKMichael Solomon, Founder of Responsible 100Sarah-Jane Littleford, Head of Responsible Business: Global Delivery with FujitsuThese sustainability leaders reflect on their experience of collaboration:in their organisationsacross their industryand when bringing businesses and NGOs together.Listen now for valuable insights to help you collaborate better in your sustainability work.👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth.

February 25, 202428 min

Sustainability leadership and collaboration - a how to guide

Collaboration is essential to making greater progress on sustainability – within organisations and supply chains, across sectors – and across society globally. This is recognised by the UN Sustainable Development Goal 17 ‘Partnership for the Goals’, and Collaboration is one of the five dimensions identified by the Inner Development Goals as essential to achieving the SDGs.And the fifth call to action in our sustainability leadership manifesto for 2024 is “Seek out opportunities to collaborate and cooperate”.Identifying the need is one thing, doing something about it is another. To prepare for this episode I sat down with Morag and Rich, my Realise Earth co-founders, to discuss how we could draw on our collective experience to offer you some really useful guidance on collaboration.Here’s what we came up with:First I talk about what we mean by collaboration in the context of sustainability leadershipThen I get into the skills required for successful collaboration and the characteristics of effective teamsFinally I explore the nitty gritty of collaborating better, ending with specific actions you can start taking tomorrow – whatever your current experience.You'll find all the links mentioned in this episode in the companion blog post: https://realise.earth/sustainability-leadership-and-collaboration-a-how-to-guide/👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes…

February 8, 202431 min

Roundtable: Discussing the sustainability leadership we need in 2024

What kind of approach to sustainability leadership do we need in 2024?In this Roundtable event, our guests reflect on their experience as sustainability leaders and give feedback on the draft sustainability leadership manifesto that Osbert talked about in the last episode.The topics discussed include:Deeply listening to understand people's needsEmbedding care in the sustainability agendaBuilding a culture of sustainability leadership across the organisationGetting beyond a carbon tunnel vision to a just transitionThe need to create collaborative spaces to drive forward positive change. Listen now for valuable insights, encouragement and hope. 👉 Check out our new newsletterWhat if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth.