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The ultimate sustainability hack Spoiler: It has nothing to do with net zero. Here’s the hack: Kind Leaders = Happy Employees = Productive Employees. And that drives meaningful sustainability action. Why? Kind leadership is more than just a way to create happy employees—it’s a powerful force for driving real change, especially when it comes to sustainability. Leading with empathy and purpose doesn’t just benefit your team; it also inspires action that leaves a positive impact on the planet and society. Here’s how kind leadership fuels sustainable success: → Leads by example → Delivers positive impact → Makes long-term decisions → Fosters a purpose-driven culture → Builds trust through accountability Here’s the detail: → Leading by Example: Kind leaders model the behavior they want to see—whether it’s reducing their own environmental impact or supporting community-driven initiatives. Their actions set a powerful example that encourages everyone around them to do the same. → Delivering Positive Impact: Kind leaders uplift and empower their teams to think beyond the bottom line. They create a space where individuals feel motivated to propose ideas that contribute to sustainability, whether it's reducing waste, supporting local communities, or innovating low carbon products. → Making Long-Term Decisions: True kindness in leadership means considering the long-term impact of every decision, not just its immediate benefits. This mindset drives sustainable business practices that balance profitability with positive social and environmental impact. → Fostering a Purpose-Driven Culture: Leaders who prioritize kindness create a culture where purpose and passion thrive. They inspire their teams to align their work with a greater cause, like advancing renewable energy, reducing carbon footprints, or championing social equity. → Building Trust Through Accountability: Kind leaders value transparency and honesty in everything they do. When leaders are open about their organization’s sustainability goals and challenges, they build trust with both their team and stakeholders, encouraging collective ownership of these initiatives. Kindness in leadership isn’t just a feel-good strategy—it’s the foundation for making lasting changes that benefit both people and the planet. By leading with empathy and purpose, you empower your team to make a bigger impact in creating a sustainable future. 🌱 What’s one way you use kindness to inspire change? Let me know in the comments! ♻️ Repost to inspire others to create positive change Follow Dan Sherrard-Smith for more insights on leadership and sustainability.

How to manage climate stress. The complete guide for reducing climate stress Climate-related stress leads to: A staggering 45% of people report that their feelings about climate change negatively impact their daily lives (PwC). This issue isn't receiving the attention it deserves. The main reason for this: There is a significant lack of education on climate stress & anxiety. Here is a scientifically supported framework.  With 6 other practices. To help you gain control over climate anxiety while also building your resilience to it. Let’s dive in: The 4 A’s for Climate Anxiety Management: Alter: - Identify the places where you have real impact. - Break climate tasks down tasks into smaller steps. Accept: - Embrace acceptance and forgiveness. - Accept that you can’t change everything, but your efforts do matter. Adapt: - Reframe climate challenges as opportunities for innovation and growth. - Adjust your lifestyle to be more aligned with sustainable practices. Avoid: - Set boundaries to avoid eco-overload (limit exposure to negative news). - Where possible, companies that are actively destroying the planet. 6 Useful Practices for Dealing with Climate Anxiety: 1. 4-7-8 breathing technique - calm your mind 2. Digital Detox - avoid the negative climate news 3. Nature Therapy - spend time reconnecting with nature  4. Community engagement - find people who share your love of the planet 5. Mel Robbins 5 second rule - Consciously stop the anxious thoughts 6. Box breathing - work to calm the nervous system With the increasing effects of climate change, managing eco-anxiety is crucial. Just as mastering work stress is essential, mastering climate stress will keep you resilient and focused on solutions. Now is the time to take control and master your climate anxiety. What’s your go-to way of managing stress? Let me know in the comments ⬇️ ♻️ Repost this to help your network Follow Dan Sherrard-Smith for more

11 uncomfortable truths every leader should read Understanding these truths will change how you lead… Embrace these truths now to grow your business and lead with impact. 1/ Customers care about sustainability—and so should you. 80% of consumers prefer brands committed to environmental and social causes → 80% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. (PDI, 2024) 2/ Sustainability is no longer optional; it’s the baseline for any business. → The Harvard Business Review reported that companies that integrate sustainability into their strategy perform better financially in the long term while showing better profitability. 3/ "Greenwashing" destroys trust faster than it builds profits. → Misleading claims result in a 25% drop in brand loyalty (Springer Link, 2024). 4/ Profit and sustainability are not enemies. Some of the most profitable companies in the world integrate sustainability at their core → A Harvard Business Review reports that companies with strong environmental & social practices show better stock market performance 5/ Waste is not just an environmental issue, it's a financial one. Inefficient resource use drains profits and harms the planet → McKinsey estimates that companies can save up to 30% of their costs by reducing waste and improving resource efficiency. Including energy, materials, and water usage, which directly impact expenses. 6/ Your business can't thrive in a collapsing ecosystem. Taking care of the planet means taking care of the future of your business → A Swiss Re report highlights that 55% of global GDP – ca. $44 trillion – depends on biodiversity services. 7/ Sustainable business isn't just about energy-saving lightbulbs. It’s about rethinking your entire business model → Accenture reports that companies embedding sustainability into all operations are seeing higher financial returns. 8/ Sustainable business isn’t just about going green. It’s about growth. When implemented correctly, businesses with sustainability at their core grow faster than their competitors → Deloitte reported that purpose-driven companies grow three times faster than their competitors. 9/ The most valuable resource you have is a workforce aligned with your sustainability vision. Employees are more engaged and productive when they believe in the company’s values → 74% of employees find their jobs more fulfilling when they can make a positive impact. (Cone Communications) 10/ Sustainability is not a marketing trend—it’s your legacy. Businesses that lead the way today will define the future → BCG found that companies that integrate sustainability at their core grow faster. 11/ Failure to adapt to sustainability pressures will cost you: Inc. fines and loss of investment. → 49% of investors are willing to divest from companies that fail to take sufficient action on ESG issues (PwC) Sources in the comments. Which one resonates most with you? Follow Dan Sherrard-Smith ♻️ Repost to your network

It was such a pleasure to work with Mike Berners-Lee and the team Small World Consulting on this. We reduced the amount of money going to fossil fuels AND got them better rates (saving them money).

What has nature ever done for us? This powerful campaign will change your perspective ⬇️ At times, I take nature for granted. It’s like the backdrop in a film. Always there. But it underpins everything in life. The film poses the question “What has nature ever done for us?” Here are 12 life-giving and life-affirming areas where nature is essential: 💚 Nutrient cycling - Keep our soils productive 💚 Water purification - Wetlands filter chemicals 💚 Water - water ecosystems supply fresh water 💚 Spiritual - Spiritual meaning from time in nature 💚 Protection - Beaver damns reduce flooding by 60% 💚 Pollination - 75% of our crops depend on pollination 💚 Medicine - 25% of medicines originate in tropical forest 💚 Economy - 85% of the world’s biggest companies depend on it 💚 Recreation - U.S. National Parks have over 327m visits annually 💚 Support - 80% of people beneath the poverty line rely on it’s services 💚 Climate - Nature-based Solutions contribute 30% of global mitigation 💚 Disease reduction - Mangroves reduce malaria by supporting predators And what have we ever done for nature? Destruction - 10 million hectares of forest are cut down each year Extinction - Extinction rate is 10,000x higher than natural rate Exploitation - 34% of fish is overfished ✅ What can we do from now on? Rewild - Bring back species that are locally extinct Protect - Put policy in place to protect essential habitats Restore - Return ecosystems to more historical baselines It's our daily choices as individuals on which path we continue on. We can change the course. Many thanks to Oliver Dauert for the inspiration on this post. Credit: Thank you Zero Hour for the leadership in nature communication. ♻️ Repost this to help your network Follow me, Dan Sherrard-Smith for more

This should be taught to all startup founders in sustainability. 7 key actions to improve your business ⬇️ Launching a startup is tough. It's even tougher if you've launched in the sustainability space. You are facing two kinds of burnout: - overwork - climate anxiety Here's 7 tips (and one action) to take to manage that: 1) Physical Rest: Quality sleep and activities like yoga or massage. 2) Mental Rest: Taking breaks to calm a busy mind. 3) Sensory Rest: Minimizing sensory overload. 4) Social Rest: Nurturing positive relationships. 5) Spiritual Rest: Discovering purpose and belonging. 6) Emotional Rest: Being genuine and open about emotions. 7) Creative Rest: Finding inspiration and fostering creativity. And the action: Sell first, build later. Never build a product until you have tested demand. What steps do you take to avoid burnout? ♻️ Repost to help your network. Follow Dan Sherrard-Smith for more!

Being sustainable is not enough 10x your positive impact with these actions Focusing only on minimizing damage won’t save us. We need to go beyond that. The sustainable way typically includes: - Minimizing waste - Reducing emissions - Reducing consumption - Phasing out all fossil fuels - Using sustainable materials This is a good start. But it won’t save us. There’s a way to go even further. And restore nature and society. It’s called Regeneration. The regenerative way - all of the sustainable way - above plus: - Restore forests - Regenerate biodiversity - Train people with green skills - Transition to a circular economy - Focus on wellbeing, and ignore GDP - Help endangered species to prolifer again - Create systems change and tackle root causes - Embed regeneration in every organisation and institution - Help local communities and Indigenous people become more resilient Image by SPHERA Sustainability Consulting What action resonates with you? ♻️ Repost this to share these graphics with your network. Follow Dan Sherrard-Smith for more!

The 3 Main Principles of Sustainability 🌍 Read these to up your sustainability game 👇 Sustainability can often just seem like another buzzword. But integrating these principles can help you achieve balance and success in your business: 1. Environmental Stewardship: By reducing waste and conserving energy, you not only contribute to a healthier planet but also create a more efficient work environment. Small changes can lead to significant impacts, helping you lead by example. 2Social Responsibility: Promoting fairness and equity in your professional and personal life fosters stronger, more supportive communities. Whether it's fair labor practices or supporting local economies, these efforts enhance your reputation and build trust. 3Economic Viability: Balancing profit with purpose is key to long-term success. When your strategies are both financially sound and socially responsible, you create a sustainable path for career growth that aligns with your values. Incorporating these principles into your business isn’t just about saving the planet – it’s about creating a legacy of success and balance in all areas of your life. 🌱 How are you integrating sustainability into your work-life balance? ♻️ Repost this to share these graphics with your network. Follow Dan Sherrard-Smith for more!

28 powerful visuals on sustainability Use these to increase your positive impact 👇 Thanks to Anna Korlath for the great illustrations! Alternative Energy - switch to greener energy Biodiversity - protect and enhance our biodiversity Compost - get that food waste in the composting bin Diversity and inclusion - build respect for all employees Eco-friendly products - develop and use eco-friendly products Fairtrade - source materials and products using fair trade practices Green commuting - encourage employees to use sustainable transport Habitat restoration - involve employees in volunteering to restore ecosystems Innovation for sustainability - encouraging employees to develop creative solutions Job flexibility - Include remote work options to reduce the need for the daily commute Knowledge sharing - create a culture of sharing by educating employees on sustainability Local sourcing - prioritize sourcing materials and products from local suppliers to reduce CO2 Minimize waste - implement waste reduction strategies not only recycling programs and save money Natural resources - emphasize responsible resource management and put in the company policy Ocean conservation - support initiatives and orgs dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans Public awareness - Engage in public awareness campaigns to educate customers Quality standards - set high sustainability and ethical standards and policies Recycle - create and encourage the use of products that are recyclable Sustainability - place sustainability at the centre of decision-making Transparency - encourage transparency in susty reporting Upcycling - a sustainable way to reuse materials Volunteering - finding greener volunteer projects Water conservation - reduce & reuse water use Xeriscaping - crate water-efficient landscapes Youth engagement - mentor & support Zero waste - reduce & reuse. - Which one resonates with you? ♻️ Repost this to share these graphics with your network. ➡️ Follow Dan Sherrard-Smith for more!

One of the hardest truths. Only 4 years to go... Until complete civilisation collapse. That’s the earliest timeframe predicted by top climate scientists on civilisation collapse due to climate change. They estimate we have between 4 and 15 years. It’s the hardest thing I heard when I met the brilliant Hugh M. It breaks my heart to think about what we’re doing to this planet. And to think about what it will be like for my son. Climate breakdown is real. It’s happening. And it’s down to us to make sure we divert the worst of this crisis. The hard truth is, if you are not actively working towards the solution, then you are part of the problem. Actively working takes many shapes: Moving your bank to one refusing to invest in fossil fuels Making sure your pension isn’t funding deforestation Finding a career that creates a more positive world Switching your energy to a greener provider Reducing the number of flights you take Influencing others to spread the word Supporting & listening Showing kindness You’re not alone on this journey. There are many brilliant people taking steps to avert this crisis. And you can be one of them. Don’t accept the status quo. Stand up. And join us in creating a world we can all thrive in. ♻️ Share this post to help your network. ➡️ Follow me, Dan Sherrard-Smith for more.