I have two firsts in this Karmic Capitalist podcast episode.
First, Harriet is the first CBE to deign to accept my humble invitation to be a guest on our podcast!
Second, she is also the first guest who leads a charity to guest on this show.
Why a charity on he Karmic Capitalist? What has that got to do with businesses?
Simple. The challenges we’re facing go cross all sectors of society. And the only way for us to address those challenges is for organisations of ALL types – companies, charities, government – to align and collaborate.
Harriet’s charity, Ashden, focuses on two areas to enable that to happen.
First, they amplify the good work of organisations tackling the environmental crisis – regardless of which sector – to help promote best practice and innovation.
For example, she talks about the creative steps that companies as diverse as hairdressers Finch Salon, or film production company VECTAR Project are taking to significantly reduce their carbon and waste impact.
Second, Ashden act as a hub to facilitate collaboration across sectors to magnify impact. Companies working with local authorities, who have the best local knowledge on how carbon impact can be reduced.
If you run an SME and are serious about playing a positive role in tackling climate change, Harriet charts a critical path to partnerships you should be looking at to magnify your impact.
But aside from Ashden and the engagement model, Harriet’s own story is a fascinating one. Having led Fairtrade International and a plethora of other roles relating to climate and social justice, means that she’s seen first hand the tight coupling between these two key issues.
She generously shares what she’s seen and heard first hand – such as conversations with farmers in Tanzania seeing real changes in weather decimating their yields, or more hopefully the UN Development Programme’s work empowering women to run solar power installations and power local economies in the Yemen.
Her stories bring home the very direct impact we can choose to have if we engage.
Listen in for an inspiring perspective.
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