BWD

26/07/2024

, commencing today, has re-opened conversations around the sustainability of mega-events.

Historically, hosting the has posed significant environmental challenges as cities strive to balance massive infrastructure demands with sustainability goals.

Paris 2024 is aiming to set a new benchmark as the ‘greenest Games in Olympic history’, halving previous Games’ . Other initiatives involve planning extensive reuse and of materials, using cardboard beds for athletes, and sourcing 80% of ingredients from local agriculture.

From 2030, Organising Committees will be mandated to reduce direct and indirect emissions, offset their residual emissions, and influence the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Looking ahead, Brisbane 2032 has pledged to accelerate Queensland's transition to a low-carbon economy. The construction of the Olympic stadium, initially planned to replace the Gabba, sparked controversy until the IOC vice-president intervened, opting to utilize existing facilities instead.

Scholars debate the of mega-events like the Olympics, arguing they focus on catering to elite interests, global consumption, and institutional investors, while others view mega-events as political tools to promote sustainable living and consumption practices.

As Brisbane prepares for its turn, can it deliver the excitement of the Games while meeting its ambitious carbon targets?

24/07/2024

At BWD Strategic NA, we believe in the power of team culture and a fun work environment. That's why every Wednesday, we wear pink! 🌸

This simple yet vibrant tradition not only brings a splash of color to our week but also strengthens our bond as a team. It’s a great way to embody our "33.3% fun" motto, reminding us that a balanced work culture includes a healthy dose of enjoyment.

Here's to making Wednesdays pink and keeping our workplace lively and connected! 🎉

22/07/2024

We're delighted to welcome Joy Salazar to BWD Strategic!

Joy is an exceptional Executive Assistant experienced in supporting clients around the world. With a knack for solving complex problems thanks to her computer programming background, Joy's expertise lies in executive support, project coordination, and seamless calendar management.

At BWD Strategic, Joy brings her dedication and enthusiasm to ensuring our smooth operations and supporting the executive team.

Outside of work, Joy is an avid mountain climber and enjoys growing mango trees from seeds. Her adventurous spirit and unique hobbies make her a valued and interesting member of the BWD team. 🧗🌳🥭

Join us in welcoming Joy to the BWD Strategic family! 🎉✨

19/07/2024

🎉✨ Today we celebrate the recent promotions of two members of our Australian team. 🎉✨

Matt van Someren has been promoted to Strategy Director, having joined BWD Strategic as a Senior Strategy Manager in early 2022. In that time, Matt has delivered projects across materiality, strategy, reporting, and climate scenario analysis in a host of industries. Recently, he has masterminded our approach to supporting clients navigating the new frontier of mandatory climate reporting, delivering bespoke and pragmatic solutions. Matt's clients value his considered, engaged style and ability to "meet them where they are".

Liam Jouannon has been promoted to Strategy Manager. Liam joined our team a year ago and immediately sought to involve himself in a diverse range of projects. Liam's promotion recognises his increased role in recent projects and his dedication to skills development since joining BWD.

If you have been fortunate enough to encounter Matt or Liam either as a client, colleague, or other connection, we encourage you to join us in congratulating them.

If you are interested in joining Matt, Liam, and other passionate and talented members of our high-performing team, please get in touch via [email protected].

16/07/2024

BWD Strategic welcomes Amanda Hughes as our Account Manager in the Brisbane office!

Amanda manages BWD’s reporting projects, working closely with our design and strategy teams to deliver bespoke solutions for each client.

Amanda is a ‘Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt’ and self-confessed corporate reporting nerd. She has been an accredited adjudicator for the Australasian Reporting Awards for more than a decade and brings this niche experience to her new role.

When she is not working, you can find Amanda at home on her property in rural Queensland with her family, including her two Australian Cattle Dogs.

15/07/2024

and the global response are inherently complex, with many inter-relating dynamics that can impact lending portfolios.

The extreme uncertainty in climate variables means even the best models have a high variance of outputs. This uncertainty carries through to likelihood ratings in lenders' risk models, which can make quantitative outputs expensive and potentially misleading.

But there is a path forward. Scenario analysis simplifies the assessment by assuming likelihood ratings based on scenarios, enabling pure impact exploration.

It is important to remember that scenario analysis isn't about predicting what will happen. It is about exploring the question "Could the portfolio survive this plausible series of events?" If the answer is yes, this is a scenario to monitor and manage as normal. If the answer is no, then elements of this scenario should be monitored and managed by senior management and investors to reduce long-term risk.

12/07/2024

Many aspects of the circular economy feel a lot like common sense; recover materials to reduce input costs, create services that give customers a reason to return, and create more from less.

But the case for change never seems so clear-cut. We find that barriers to circularity often relate to . Here are some examples of these biases and how you can challenge the bias.

1. Sunken cost fallacy - investment of time, money, and resources in the status quo creates reluctance for change, even when alternatives could create greater value in the long term.

2. Availability bias - decision-makers gravitate towards familiar or more recently encountered options rather than new and novel approaches.

3. Framing bias – decisions and judgments are influenced by the way information is presented, or ‘framed’, rather than by the actual content.

Our top tips for overcoming the bias:

• Use scenario analysis to challenge assumptions. Each scenario provides a platform for adopting a ‘here and now’ mindset under a totally different strategic and operating context.

• Create a visualization to show how the circular economy is an enabler for delivering against your and goals.

• Map your value chain – this can help you to see the bigger picture and critically evaluate how you are creating, maintaining, and recovering value.

• Initiate conversations with non-competitive organizations in your region – even if there aren’t direct opportunities, a different perspective may trigger new ideas.

10/07/2024

🌱Our team is growing! 🌱

We are thrilled to welcome our newest team member, Ani Hanesyan!

Originally from Armenia, Ani is an aspiring professional with over five years of experience measuring and managing social impact in the non-profit industry. With an educational background in sustainability, she brings extensive expertise in project development, industry research and analysis, stakeholder mapping, Theory of Change (ToC) development, dashboards and data visualization, project valuation, and business modeling.

Outside of work, Ani is an adventurer at heart. You can find her hiking and enjoying extreme sports like rope jumping, canyoning, and caving. For a more relaxing pastime, she loves crafting drinks from food scraps and urban walking. 🍹🌇

Join us in welcoming Ani to the BWD Strategic family! 🎉✨

05/07/2024

Many businesses view as distinct from their core operations. It’s a distinction that has held sway for many years. It separates a business’ core commercial operations, on the one hand, from its contributions to (or impacts on) , , and communities, on the other.

This view results in businesses treating sustainability as either a compliance exercise, with a ‘tick the box’ approach, or as a ‘nice to have’ so long as the commercial environment permits it.

But there is a better alternative to this ‘either/or’ view.

Enter the concept of ‘shared value’. Writing in the Harvard Business Review in 2012, Mark Kramer argued that businesses should redefine their purpose as going beyond generating profits, and to ‘creating shared value’.

Kramer highlighted that social deficits and environmental damage directly impact commercial outcomes, creating economic costs for companies. For instance, poor educational outcomes can reduce industry productivity, and environmental damage to critical ecosystems can lead to resource scarcity and increased regulatory costs.

Conversely, addressing environmental and social needs can open substantial market opportunities. Enhanced supply chain transparency in the food and beverage industry appeals to sustainability-conscious consumers. Investment in low-carbon manufacturing solutions not only reduces emissions but also enhances operational efficiency and provides a competitive edge.

Additionally, being recognized as a sustainability leader can attract and retain top talent, who increasingly value purpose, culture, and engagement over salaries and titles alone.

The most effective solutions often require partnerships with industry peers, supply chain networks, large distributors, and customers. Collaborating with other stakeholders to monitor natural ecosystems, for example, can help businesses understand and manage long-term nature-related risks. Partnerships can also multiply investments in nature repair, distribute costs and risks, inform government policy and regulation, and enable businesses to help shape change rather than just react to it.

Is it time your business thought about ‘shared value’?

03/07/2024

🚨 New Employee Alert! 🚨

We are thrilled to welcome our newest team member, Leila Nattagh!

Leila brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to BWD Strategic, with a unique blend of skills and a passion for sustainability. Her background in pharmacology sparked an interest in climate-related issues, which led her to pursue a master’s in Environment and Sustainability from Western University in Canada.

Before joining us, Leila founded and managed her own carbon consultancy for five years, helping small and medium-sized enterprises develop and implement effective decarbonization plans. Her Project Management Professional designation underscores her expertise in leading and executing consulting projects.

As a 2X immigrant, Leila values adaptability and cultural diversity, enriching her professional approach. Outside of work, she's a busy toddler mom, a loving owner of a geriatric dog, an avid bread baker, and a gardener of herbs and tomatoes for the best salsa in town! 🍞🐾🍅

Join us in welcoming Leila to the BWD Strategic family! 🎉✨

01/07/2024

Choosing imagery can be a challenge, which is why many businesses use stock images to bring their reports and communications to life.

But have you ever considered whether that generic “growing seedling” photo on your sustainability webpage is misleading?

We’re thinking a lot about the ACCC’s Greenwashing Guidelines, particularly Principle 7: Visual elements should not give the wrong impression. Written with product marketing in mind, we think this principle could be applied to sustainability communications and disclosures.

Here are our top tips for selecting environmentally themed images:

#1 Think outside the search terms – instead of reaching for the ‘skyscraper + trees’ photo result, consider searching for photos of people like your customers using your product, or colleagues doing their work in an outdoor space.

#2 Make it relevant – a photo of your employees is more relevant than a stock photo.

#3 See the signs – think critically about your use of symbols and icons. Could they be misinterpreted? Partnering your chosen icon with a heading or explanatory sentence can help avoid any confusion or misunderstanding.

Find out more in the ACCC Greenwashing Guidelines here:https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/greenwashing-guidelines.pdf

28/06/2024

In 2019, took center stage at the European elections with the introduction of the ambitious environmental roadmap, the Green Deal. It aims to reduce EU by 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels), reaching 90% in 2040 and neutrality by 2050.

Far-right parties, known for climate denialism, have gained popularity over recent years, with an especially strong performance at the European parliamentary elections in June 2024.

The unexpectedly strong showing of a French opposition party, National Rally, at the EU level, prompted French President Macron to call a snap French election.

National Rally leader, Marine Le Pen, is honing the following political narrative:

• French citizens are suffering diminished lifestyles because of environmental policies

• These policies are imposed on them by the urban bobo-écolo (bourgeois-bohemian ecology) ideology of Europe's elites

• Decisions should be decentralized away from metropolitan areas to counter elite control, giving a stronger political say to rural populations and farmers significantly affected by the Green Deal.

Scientists and climate advocates are concerned by the rise of climate skepticism across Europe and the accompanying risks to science-based policymaking. For example, Le Pen wants to dismantle parts of the Green Deal, including the ban on new petrol vehicle sales, progress on restoration, and the large-scale rollout of renewable energy projects.

The EU, counting 450 million inhabitants, is the global leader in climate action and has long shaped how the rest of the world responds. A retreat from green commitments in Europe, alongside a likely Trump victory in the US election in November, is likely to weaken global initiatives to mitigate and adapt to .

26/06/2024

🎉 Welcome to the BWD Strategic Family, Jo Ann! 🌟

We are thrilled to introduce Jo Ann Hair, a trusted advisor, change agent, and sustainable development economist, to our team. With over 20 years of experience in strategy and management consulting with global Fortune 500 and public sector organizations, Jo Ann brings unparalleled expertise and passion to our mission. Jo Ann is helping open our new Colorado office and will serve as the Managing Director of BWD North America.

Holding an MIA in International Economic & Political Development, Sustainable Development & Environment, Jo Ann has worked and lived in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the US. She excels in scenario analysis, future readiness, road mapping, and capability building, skillfully connecting and mobilizing complex global entities toward an inclusive and just future.

Jo Ann is deeply committed to empowering the next generation of change agents through mentorship, working with startup founders in climate tech, BWD strategists, and graduates from Columbia University | SIPA and CU Boulder. She is on the bleeding edge of building Colorado's clean tech ecosystem, integrating academia, research labs, finance, and industry to foster innovation and economic development.

In addition to facilitating complex organizational change, Jo Ann enjoys skiing, cycling, and hiking in the stunning Colorado landscape.

Join us in welcoming Jo Ann to the BWD Strategic team! 🎉🏔️🚴‍♀️

24/06/2024

🌍 Easter Island: A lesson in sustainability 🌍

In the remote Pacific lies a tiny speck of land, Easter Island, home to the enigmatic moai statues. But the story of Easter Island isn't just about iconic stone giants; it's a cautionary tale of sustainability — or rather, the lack of it.

🗿 Rise and fall 🗿

Centuries ago, the Rapa Nui of Easter Island thrived. But they overexploited their environment in the pursuit of short-term incentives, cutting down the abundant palm forests to transport their colossal statues. Deforestation led to ecological collapse.

🔍 Modern parallels 🔍

As the saying goes, history doesn't repeat, but it often rhymes.

1. Overexploitation: The Rapa Nui deforested the island to transport and erect their iconic statues, leading to severe ecological degradation.

• Modern parallel: The mining of rare earth metals for tech devices. Our demand for smartphones and electric vehicles drives overexploitation of finite resources, causing significant environmental damage and habitat destruction.

2. Short-term thinking: Immediate societal and political pressures drove them to prioritize monument building over resource conservation.

• Modern parallel: Government support for large-scale monoculture agriculture, which disregards the long-term impacts on soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability.

3. Misaligned incentives: Leaders focused on showcasing power and prestige, neglecting the health of their environment.

• Modern Parallel: Political leaders push for grandiose developments, such as enormous dams that destroy riverine ecosystems.

🤔 The call to action 🤔

Just like the Rapa Nui, the modern world faces peril in prioritizing immediate rewards over long-term survival. Let's learn from history and innovate for a sustainable tomorrow. What policies and strategies do you most want to see adopted to save our planet?

20/06/2024

Our Australian office gathered in Sydney this week to reflect on another wonderful 12 months at BWD Strategic, and discuss our plans for the year(s) ahead.

Some of our highlights this financial year were:

- We welcomed 9 (nine!) new members to the Australian team. (https://bwdstrategic.com/about/asia-pacific/)

- We moved into the Greenhouse Climate Tech Hub. Even on Sydney's dreariest, foggiest days, the view from the office is stunning.

- We expanded our Nature Roundtable, which regularly attracts corporate leaders, academics, and community representatives.

- We released 2 editions of our Sustainability Insights publication - produced in partnership with Gilbert + Tobin (https://bwdstrategic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Sustainability-Insights_Issue-04_03-2024_COP-28_Death-of-ESG.pdf?src=edm-first)

- ... and many more...

Thank you to our team, clients, partners, and collaborators for being part of our journey.

What will the next 12 months bring? We have a few ideas... stay tuned.

14/06/2024

Despite being more connected than ever, feelings of social disconnection are widespread. Indeed, public health officials have declared a loneliness epidemic.

Studies of blue zones (regions where people have exceptionally long lives) have found social connection and a strong sense of community to be vital ingredients for longevity.

As a business with a number of remote employees and many of the team working from home for at least some of the week, we work hard to make sure everyone feels socially connected and part of the BWD community. Here are some of the lessons we've learned:

• We share in each other’s success (personal and professional). On Wednesday (WINSday), we start the day with a 15-minute all-hands call to celebrate what we’ve achieved over the last week.

• We look out for each other. Cultural fit is a primary consideration in our recruitment strategy. Care and compassion are values we hold in high regard, and we try to live these values in our daily work; be it ad hoc check-in calls, gifts to celebrate special moments, or just making the time to listen.

• We bring everyone together twice a year. Next week, most of our team will gather in Sydney for our annual planning day, followed by a big, noisy lunch and an afternoon outside learning about the history of Cockatoo Island.

How does your team build a sense of community?

13/06/2024

🌟 Meet Our Team at GreenFin! 🌟

We're thrilled to announce that BWD Strategic will be represented by some of our exceptional teammates at the upcoming GreenFin Conference! This is an incredible opportunity for us to engage with industry leaders, share insights, and explore new trends.

Introducing our attending team members:

Dr. Alex Gold – CEO BWD North America, a trained biologist with a PhD in resilience science, and a trusted advisor to corporate leaders worldwide.

Jo Ann Hair – Managing Director, a trusted advisor, change agent, and architect for complex strategic change with over two decades of experience working with tri-sector organizations.

Siobhan Lyons-Kramer, MSL – Strategy Manager, a process and reporting enthusiast with a knack for developing and implementing sustainable strategies across different industries.

Gabriela McCrossan – Strategy Associate, a problem solver with an intense curiosity aimed toward developing sustainable business pathways in the face of complex social and ecological challenges.

Our team is excited to connect, learn, and contribute to the vibrant discussions at GreenFin. We're looking forward to gaining valuable insights and sharing our experiences with others in the field.

🤝If you're attending, we would love to meet you! We're eager to exchange ideas, collaborate and discuss how BWD Strategic is pushing the boundaries in sustainability and strategy development.

👀 Connect with us on LinkedIn and keep an eye on our pages for updates and insights straight from the conference floor!

12/06/2024

🎉 A big congratulations to PPG on publishing their 2023 ESG Report! The opportunity to work with companies like PPG that are making real progress gets us out of bed every morning. Highlights from their 2023 report include:

🌍 Science-based GHG emissions targets validated by SBTi
🔄 Enhanced product circularity and reduced emissions
💧 Continued water and energy savings at their facilities
👩‍🔬 Empowering future STEM leaders through community engagement

We're proud to partner with companies like PPG as we work toward a more sustainable future!

Learn more: https://www.ppg.com/sustainability/en-US

We confidently collaborate with customers and suppliers across our value chain, innovatively minimizing packaging, maximizing resource efficiency, and significantly enhancing environmental impacts. Continue reading to discover the compelling testimonials from PPG customers who are leveraging PPG pro...

07/06/2024

🌊 Happy World Ocean Day! 🌊

Today, we celebrate the vast, mysterious, and life-sustaining oceans that cover more than 70% of our planet's surface. Here are some fascinating facts about our oceans:

🌐 Deep-Sea Discoveries: The ocean’s depths harbor hydrothermal vents that spew mineral-rich water at temperatures exceeding 400°C, creating unique, alien-like worlds where creatures thrive in darkness.

🐋 Bigger than the dinosaurs: The blue whale, the largest animal that has ever existed, can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh as much as 200 tons, with a heart the size of a small car.

🐙 A real-life Kraken: The elusive giant squid, which can grow up to 43 feet long, was only first captured on video in its natural habitat in 2012, highlighting how much we still have to learn about deep-sea life.

🐠 Hidden Mountains: If you combined all the ocean's mountain ranges, they would be longer than those on land. The mid-ocean ridge system is the longest mountain range in the world, stretching over 65,000 kilometers.

🌌 Ocean stars: Bioluminescent organisms, like the tiny dinoflagellates, create mesmerizing light displays in the ocean, illuminating waves and shorelines with a natural glow.

🌱 Origins of Life: Life on Earth likely began in the ocean around 3.5 billion years ago, with simple, single-celled organisms evolving in the nutrient-rich waters before spreading to land.

The ocean is not just a vast expanse of water; it is the beating heart of our planet, influencing climate, weather, and the air we breathe. It calls to us, as the poet John Masefield says: "I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by."

Take a moment today to appreciate the ocean’s beauty and mystery. 🌍💙

05/06/2024

🌍 Happy World Environment Day! 🌱

Today, we celebrate our beautiful planet and take a moment to reflect on how we can protect it for future generations. 🌿 Whether it's reducing plastic use, conserving water, or planting trees, every small action makes a big difference. Let's come together to create a cleaner, greener world! 🌳✨

At BWD, our teams have volunteered at park clean-ups and planting events, helping to keep the natural spaces we cherish accessible and lush for all to enjoy.

Share your eco-friendly tips and activities with us! Together, we can make a change. 💚

What's your pledge for the ? 🌏💪

04/06/2024

Our Sydney team recently joined the Greenhouse Climate Tech Hub community, moving into a beautiful new space alongside other climate-focused businesses.

If you’re in Sydney, pop by Salesforce Tower and say hello. Thank you to the Greenhouse team for a very smooth arrival and a great workplace experience.

03/06/2024

Can humanity have more of what it wants *and* fewer environmental impacts?

In the history of humanity's relentless technological and social experimentation, there have been few free lunches. Almost everything we've gained more of – power, speed, scale – has come with negative environmental consequences. For the most part, that's just physics.

But there is one major exception. It's something we've all got access to, something we've all tucked between our legs, now and then.

It's the bicycle; the ultimate democratic mode of human movement for the past two centuries.

The efficiency of the bicycle is one of nature's few free lunches. For an equivalent input of effort as walking, the bicycle triples the speed we can travel. Uphill we can be faster but need to work, downhill we're faster and it's a breeze.

The pleasure of conversation while traveling by bike is unmatched. And unlike cars, bike riding connects you to the world you're traveling through, rather than insulating you from it.

The UN, in the process of establishing World Bicycle Day in 2018, called this out, recognizing how "the synergy between the bicycle and the user fosters creativity and social engagement and gives the user an immediate awareness of the local environment".

For many of us at BWD, attuned to a whirl of global challenges – tipping points in the Amazon, bird flu spreading towards Australasia through Antarctica, etc. – an awareness of the local provides an important counter-balance, reminding us to push for saner outcomes and values.

Consider the simple wonder of the bicycle the next time you take your family or friends out for a ride. Your local environs, witnessed at coasting speed from a bicycle, might just be where your agency to make a better planet begins.

31/05/2024

What would a nature-positive world look like?

Well, it would need to start with nature-positive cities.

Nature-positive cities will be vital to our enduring economic security. 80% of global GDP is generated in cities; an estimated 44% of this city-based productivity (USD 31 trillion) is vulnerable to disruption due to nature loss, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).

But nature-positivity can unlock much more value for cities and their residents. A host of ecosystem services and natural assets – from access to clean water for human consumption and industrial use to the cultural significance of Country to First Nations peoples – are fundamental to human health, climate resilience, and social stability.

So: how can we achieve nature-positivity in cities?

In May 2024 the WEF published ‘Nature Positive: Guidelines for the Transition in Cities’. It recommends a four-step strategy that urban centers around the world can adopt:

• Establish a clear vision for urban nature stewardship, an inspiring vision statement that articulates a city’s vision for nature and biodiversity.

•Set coherent objectives in relation to nature, informed by an honest assessment of a city’s nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities.

•Build the right enabling environment for nature-positive action, aligning governance, policy, people, finance, and data behind a credible nature ‘improvement plan’.

• Create a nature-positive roadmap that lists policy measures and nature-based solutions, and enables impact monitoring and disclosures for your city.

Coincidentally, also in May, the Australian Government released its draft National Urban Policy, which includes ‘urban biodiversity’ as a factor under its sustainability pillar.

Also in May, the Government Architect NSW released its ‘Biodiversity in Place’ framework, which sets out a number of pathways for cities to identify and enhance biodiversity in their urban environments.

Cities can make an outsized contribution to a nature-positive world. If you are an urban sustainability leader, it's time to start your city’s nature journey.