", Ali offered one answer: "If we truly want to win on climate and the environment, that means all voices must help drive the process. The lack of diversity stunts the mainstreaming of sustainability. The Pew Charitable Trusts and Conservation International, for example, do not share their diversity data and did not respond to repeated interview requests for this story. Let’s share opportunities with the diverse, next-generation of change agents and help catapult them into high-impact leadership. Is it possible for firms to tout environmental sustainability if they lack true diversity in their workforce? The short answer is: no. A healthy organization must reflect the beautiful ethnic mosaic that is our world. If it's not us purpose-driven corporate sustainability professionals, then who? I am employed as the manager of sustainability at Interface Americas and recently was recognized as a GreenBiz 30 Under 30 honoree. Calvert and other inventors believe that lack of diversity affects a company’s ability to attract talent. From coffee to cosmetics, companies are looking for ways to protect the plants their products are made from. At the average sustainability conference, I am definitely not that hard to spot. The lack of diversity in U.S. environmental non-profit organizations has been well chronicled in recent years. The organization found it challenging to recruit ethnically diverse, younger staff to suburban Sacramento, where the organization was originally based. I’m confident that our community of corporate sustainability professionals has what it takes to rise to new levels of bold leadership, trailblazing unprecedented realities in diversity and inclusion, which will lead to greater organizational health and an even stronger movement for social and environmental change. The tide is changing for offshore aquaculture, Climate change ups the urgency on saving the world's seeds, Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Marine Conservation Diversity Fellowship. They were more eager to address race and other inequities than he had anticipated. But they decided 10 years ago they needed to do more to diversify their board and staff. diversity is crucial to the sustainability of the financial planning profession. Throughout the organization — from adjusting its mission to include the needs of underserved communities to addressing unconscious bias in hiring practices — the society is working to embed equity and inclusivity into everything it does, he said. Other environmental funding organizations and non-profits, however, are less forthcoming. Mary Scoonover, executive vice president of the California-based conservation non-profit Resources Legacy Fund, said her organization, since inception, has focused on broadening, ethnically and economically, the groups and leaders who advocate for conservation. Over 220 participants — mostly students of color — attended with resumes in hand to mingle with representatives of non-profits. Still, he was surprised by the lack of diversity in the marine non-governmental organization community when he accepted a Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Marine Conservation Diversity Fellowship, part of a program designed to attract people of color to work on ocean issues. I have experienced bitter encounters of prejudice and racism firsthand. The Lead, Supplier Diversity and Sustainability is responsible for promoting diverse suppliers and monitoring their usage across Abbott’s divisions. How does biodiversity impact sustainable development? "I see a lot of organizations put a toe in the water and try to recruit for diversity but do nothing to create an inclusive environment," she said. Ezeilo estimated only 15 to 17 percent of her trainees have secured long-term employment in environmental organizations. Although I have grown used to the discomfort associated with rarely seeing industry counterparts who look like me, I remain hopeful and optimistic that more of us will maximize our platforms and choose to embrace the value of diversity and inclusion. Bringing cultural liaisons aboard the corporate sustainability teams can help bridge gaps, broaden an organization's positive influence and reach, all while bringing in new perspectives and strategies. ", Get articles like this delivered to your inbox. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/why-diversity-key-unlocking-sustainability Canada’s new food guide: A fail on culture and sustainability January 17, 2019 5.24pm EST • Updated January 22, 2019 10.09pm EST Sarah Duignan , McMaster University The first step, he said, was to be more representative of the communities they aim to serve — and that required outreach. Queta González helps organizations develop strategies to increase equity, diversity and inclusion in her role as director of Center for Diversity & the Environment in Portland, Oregon. Five years ago, the group’s seven-member board had no people of color. Research on lack of ethnic diversity on sustainability. These topics can be paralyzing, but we must press into these difficult spaces with vulnerability. Now, the 11-member board has three people of color. Introduction to Sustainability. The shift in framing diversity beyond gender is evident in a number of developments last year. At times, Diversity is used in a superficial way within organizations and sustainability programs without consideration of the deeper, long-term and more strategic implications of diversity. Corporate sustainability teams must be the organizational "heartbeat" or conscience (as my friend and mentor Lindsay James, sustainability consultant, expressed), influencing trends and behaviors across the business. Broadening the organization’s focus beyond protecting the biggest, wildest places, the Wilderness Society launched an Urban to Wild initiative to protect outdoor recreational areas close to and within cities and increase public transportation from cities to these areas — making it easier for city dwellers, including people of color, to access the outdoors. In early April, shortly after Beyoncé announced her upcoming fashion collaboration with Adidas, ESPN’s Nick DePaula reported the deal could have gone another way. Can mission-driven food companies scale up without selling out? Benefits of diversity … The entertainer had been in talks to partner with Reebok until meeting with her potential team there. TL: Without biological diversity, there is no other life on Earth, including our own. The unequal performance of companies in the same industry and country implies that diversity is a competitive differentiator shifting market share toward more diverse companies. Organizations should make it safe to explore topics such as systemic privilege, unconscious bias and the failure to prioritize in the recruiting process — as well as individuals’ fears, misconceptions, curiosities and obstacles. Mustafa Ali, senior vice president of climate, environmental justice and community revitalization with the Hip Hop Caucus, a national non-profit that encourages civic engagement, agrees. "It's a good news, bad news situation," said Taylor. In September, the sixth annual HBCU Climate Conference, which brings together historically black college and universities staff, faculty and students, will take place in New Orleans and expects 400 attendees. More than 52 percent of paid interns at for-profits received a job offer upon graduation (compared to 46 percent of the class overall), with a median starting salary of $51,251 compared with $47,358, according to the 2016 National Association of Colleges and Employers Report. Communicating honestly helps develop a culture of self-enforced accountability, and can catalyze radical shifts within businesses as a whole. In order to make real progress on diversifying corporate sustainability, we must be willing to step outside of our comfort zones and have honest conversations. And tech companies have made headway by having at … "If it's drudgery or scary, it will fail. Still, "there have to be employers ready to hire them," she said. A lack of diversity can hurt companies in many ways, to say nothing of individuals and society. "There is greater recognition that there's a problem, but we are nowhere near where we should be in terms of hiring people of color.". In January, study author Dorceta Taylor, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, released another report (PDF download) of 2,057 U.S. environmental nonprofit organizations, analyzing voluntary diversity data between 2014 and 2016. Diversifying environmental non-profits takes time, patience and, most important, thoughtful, sustained action. Taylor said that type of rhetoric is used to absolve organizations of a responsibility to search out or nurture talent. Diversity comes in many forms: gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, culture, socioeconomic background, etc. "We know we still have a lot of work to do," said Williams, "but [these efforts] will make us a much stronger, dynamic organization over the long run.". I encourage you to develop "unlikely" relationships with a variety of individuals within your network or business and press into difficult conversations. Get articles like this delivered to your inbox. Eddie Love was the lone African American in a cohort of 90 wildlife management students at Auburn University and one of three people of color at his U.S. Forest Service internship in the western Great Plains region of the U.S. Insufficient diversity transparency among environmental funders. Diversity breeds innovation and innovation breeds business growth. The Storm, the Strife, and Everyday Life: Sea Changes in the Suburbs. "Different kinds of people will come up with different kinds of ideas, and the more variety, the better," wrote Todd Pittinsky, a Stony Brook University professor, in the Harvard Business Review. When you commit to do this, you have to go all in, said Center for Diversity & the Environment’s González. While the energy industry has made progress toward diversification, more work is needed. Even though we are often oblivious to it, this diversity of life is what provides clean water, oxygen, and all other things that end up being part of our diet… Tags: ethnic diversity | race | inclusivity. Companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Represent Abbott strategically in the industry and community. If new hires walk into a space where they don't feel welcome, the situation is set up for failure, she said. Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050; CODEN: SUSTDE) is an international, cross-disciplinary, scholarly, peer-reviewed and open access journal of environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability of human beings. The lack of Diversity and Inclusion … Such experiences help youth from diverse backgrounds become familiar with corporate culture, gain valuable network connections, showcase their abilities and ideas and test-drive their interests. Only two women and one foreigner have seats on the company's 11-member board. In 2014, a report produced by Green 2.0, an organization that brings attention to the lack of diversity in mainstream environmental movements, conducted a survey of the country’s 40 largest environmental NGOs, including the Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club. Where can you find these passionate, talented students? 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