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Jamie Beck Alexander argues convincingly that to mitigate climate change, every job must be a climate job.
Jamie Beck Alexander
Jamie Beck Alexander argues convincingly that to mitigate climate change, every job must be a climate job. What does that mean? You have to recognize the influence you have no matter your role, industry, or the level you’re at in your organization. You can be part of what’s driving change: a movement of committed employees who help their companies do more to address climate change.
As the founding Director of Drawdown Labs, a program of Project Drawdown, Jamie helped develop the “Climate Solutions At Work” guide and provides hands-on support to dozens of companies. In this episode of Invested in Climate, Jamie shares some tangible steps we can each take to accelerate progress.
[3:20] The mobilization of talent toward climate change jobs
[5:23] Learn more about Project Drawdown and Drawdown Labs
[8:31] The private sector’s role in addressing climate change
[12:38] Jamie’s mantra: Every job must be a climate job
[14:24] Learn about the “Climate Solutions at Work” guide
[21:50] How to hold companies accountable to their green initiatives
[28:02] The impact of the Drawdown Project’s workshops
[30:53] How to influence the organization you work at
[32:43] How you can make an impact in all areas of your life
Project Drawdown is a non-profit that consists of researchers from around the world who look at existing technologies to address climate change and amplify solutions. They’ve gathered information, crunched numbers on cost, and calculated the emissions they’ll reduce or avoid. It all came down to this: We already have the solutions and practices necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius if we scale them quickly.
Everything humanity needs is within grasp. Drawdown Labs focuses on scaling climate solutions quickly so they displace “business as usual” approaches. They’re focused on the “how.” How can actors in society put their resources to work to scale climate solutions? Capital needs to be moved toward solutions. Corporate behavior needs to be changed. That’s what Jamie seeks to do.
Climate change affects everything. It underpins every aspect of society and life as we know it. That means everyone has a role to play. Jamie emphasizes that “We need accountants doing carbon accounting. We need salespeople to shift their businesses away from selling into the fossil fuels sector to partner with climate-related companies. We need marketers, human resources professionals, farmers…Every sector of the economy needs to undergo a transformational change.”
You could make scaling climate solutions part of your direct job. You could install solar panels or heat pumps. Or, you could tap key leverage points to help climate solutions scale faster (i.e. moving capital to climate solutions). You can change culture by telling stories about the future that’s possible. You don’t have to search for a climate job—you can apply a climate lens wherever you are.
Companies contribute to the climate crisis, for better or worse—but mostly worse. The “Climate Solutions at Work” guide shares hundreds of climate solutions that are at our fingertips—and we need all of them. The guide emphasizes that there are things everyone can do. What are things that are positively or negatively impacting climate solutions? Direct emissions influence the climate—but so do political lobbying and investments. The guide is intended for employees to become better judges of their company’s climate pledges. It shares tips to contribute no matter what job function you’re in.
What are some things that can be changed within an organization?
How do you hold companies accountable to green initiatives? What action can someone take at an individual level? What should your first step be? Listen to hear what you can do to take action—and maybe start your own climate action movement.
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