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30 Purpose-Driven Events to Attend in April – June, 2024

Ready to take action to make the world better? This spring and early summer, there are plenty of purpose-driven conferences to attend for every cause that matters to you, including sharpening your social purpose, engaging in social finance and sustainable finance, supporting Indigenous and underrepresented communities, advancing the circular economy, collaborating toward collective wellbeing for all, and more. 

We’ve tracked down 30 learning, collaboration, and networking opportunities taking place both online and in-person, in Canada and globally, so you can maximize your impact.

Keep scrolling to learn all about purpose-driven events taking place this April, May, and June.

April

Indigenous Led Projects Forum (ILPF) 2024

Date: April 2 – 3, 2024

Location: Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto, Ontario

Description: Focused around the central theme, “Transitioning to the Green Economy: Opportunities for Indigenous Nations,” this two-day event unites Indigenous communities and organizations and industry and government representatives to engage in meaningful conversations, collaborations, and partnerships to pave the way for positive change.

Bringing Your Non-Profit To Life With Powerful Impact Stories

Date: April 10, 2024, from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM PDT

Location: Volunteer Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia

Description: This in-person, interactive workshop will help non-profits learn how to engage their audience through storytelling, including identifying and appealing to target audiences, using feedback to illustrate impact, and writing a compelling call to action.

Calgary Women in Energy Presents: Allies in Energy 2024 – Executive Forum

Date: April 10, 2024, from 2:30 PM – 7:00 PM MDT

Location: Calgary Petroleum Club – Devonian Room, Calgary, Alberta

Description: Presented by Calgary Women in Energy,  learn, network, and uplift women at this forum focused on the alignment of team dynamics, organizational culture, strategy implementation, operational models, and the pursuit of synergies. 

Green Leader Awards 2024

Date: April 10, 2024, from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT

Location: RBC Place London, London, Ontario

Description: Join the London Environmental Network and Green Economy London in celebrating businesses and community leaders who are building a more sustainable and resilient London, Ontario.

ROI of Why 2024

Date: April 11, 2024

Location:  Online & In-Person, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Description: Hosted by The Do More Good® Movement, this purpose-driven conference brings together individuals and organizations creating abundance and transformation through business. Discussion topics will include conscious leadership, employee wellbeing, innovation for good, profit because of purpose, social responsibility, sustainable business practices, and more.

B Local Breakfast

Date: April 18, 2024, from 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PDT

Location: Suite Genius, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Sponsored by Coast Capital Savings and hosted by B Local Vancouver, B Corp, and PortaLaw, and featuring a presentation from Ocean Ambassadors Canada, this free, zero-waste networking breakfast event will help employees learn how to take action to end waste at work and home. Plus, connect with Sparx at this event!

BC Embodied Carbon Awards 2024

Date: April 18, 2024, from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM PDT

Location: Ventura Room, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Uncover success stories and celebrate companies and projects pursuing low embodied carbon design at this inspiring awards event, hosted by Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) British Columbia and powered by Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC).

JEDDI Seminar: Storytelling MMIWG2S & Extraction

Date: April 19, 2024, from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PDT

Location: UBC Sauder School of Business, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: At this JEDDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization, and Inclusion) seminar, convened by the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics and Ch’nook, learn about advancing the substantive equality of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIAP+ persons working in the extraction industry and living close to development projects.

Alberta Energy Efficiency + Innovation Summit 2024

Date: April 23 – 24, 2024

Location: The Hudson Downtown Calgary, Calgary, Alberta

Description: Collaborate, network, and gain insights into the latest energy efficiency deployment trends at this two-day purpose-driven conference, which brings together over 200 leaders dedicated to advancing sustainable solutions in Alberta’s buildings sector.

Benevity Live!

Date: April 23 – 26, 2024

Location: Online & In-Person, Palm Springs, California, United States

Description: Connect, ideate, and celebrate all things positive impact alongside purpose-driven brands and changemakers at this inspiring event, hosted by Benevity, and enjoy networking, community huddles, workshops, presentations, and more.

Natural Climate Solutions and Carbon Market Potential

Date: April 25, 2024, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM CST

Location: Online & In-Person, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Description: Presented by the kihci-okâwîmâw askiy Knowledge Centre, which works for and with Indigenous communities to support the development and delivery of land-related teaching, research, and engagement opportunities, this panel explores the carbon environment in Canada and natural climate solutions.

The Purpose Summit

Date: April 29 – May 1, 2024

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Description: Join purpose-driven leaders from around the world for a three-day purpose-driven event packed with keynotes, breakout sessions, receptions, and more focused on building relationships, refocusing and reigniting purpose, and creating high-performing purpose-driven teams to create a better world.

May

Total Impact Summit 2024

Date: May 1 – 2, 2024

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Description: Meet with a dynamic group of impact investors and leaders from across the United States who are signalling, shaping, and setting new standards for a future economy that is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient for all.

Nonprofit Driven 2024

Date: May 14 – 15, 2024

Location: Toronto Reference Library, Toronto, Ontario

Description: Organized by Ontario Nonprofit Network, this nonprofit public policy forum brings changemakers together to uncover insights from diverse sector leaders, explore a wide range of topics including advocacy and social finance, and participate in networking sessions and workshops.

Circularity 24

Date: May 22 – 24, 2024

Location: Marriott Marquis Hotel Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Description: Circularity 24 is a leading circular economy event that brings together visionaries, practitioners, and changemakers for thought-provoking keynotes, actionable breakouts, networking opportunities, and a solutions-oriented expo. Plus, connect with Sparx at this event! 

Ocean Global Canada Summit 2024

Date: May 21 – 24, 2024

Location: The Algonquin Resort, St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick

Description: Help contribute toward Canada’s blue economy at this purpose-driven event, which brings together leaders, experts, policymakers, innovators, and ocean technology entrepreneurs from across industry sectors to examine key themes, including Canada’s Blue Economy strategy, social equity and Indigenous economic engagement, preservation of coastal cultures for sustainable blue impact, and more.

Northern Dialogues Conference 2024

Date: May 21 – 24, 2024

Location: Online & In-Person, Yukon University, Whitehorse, Yukon

Description: Engage with meaningful dialogues and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing rural, northern, and Indigenous communities in Canada, as well as the implications of “remoteness” for sustainable living, at this purpose-driven conference.

RIA Conference Vancouver 2024

Date: May 28 – 29, 2024

Location: Sheraton Wall Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Unleash the potential of responsible investment in Canada and learn, develop, and network alongside sustainable finance and ESG leaders at this purpose-driven event, hosted by the Responsible Investment Association (RIA).

2024 National Suicide Prevention Conference

Date: May 29 – 31, 2024

Location: Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Hosted by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP), this purpose-driven event, centred around the theme, “Inspiring Hope Together,” will teach attendees strategies for saving lives through the latest knowledge and practices in suicide prevention, intervention, postvention, and life promotion, all while emphasizing the power of unity in creating positive change.

June

Planted Expo Vancouver 2024: North America’s Largest Plant-based Event!

Date: June 1 – 2, 2024

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre West Building, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Discover innovative plant-based products that are good for people and planet at an exhibit spanning 200+ exhibitors, and gather insights from leading voices and presenters in the sustainability space.

Social Innovation Summit 2024

Date: June 4 – 5, 2024

Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Description: Join forces with purpose-driven leaders, funders, community stakeholders, and impact entrepreneurs determined to catalyze inspired partnerships, and engage in discussions and debates, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.

Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase 2024

Date: June 5 – 6, 2024

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre West Building, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Dive into two days of thought leadership, storytelling, and open dialogue on economic reconciliation and cultivate purpose, relationships, and vision as Indigenous leaders share their experiences and groundbreaking ideas about reconciliation.

2024 Canadian Climate Investor Conference

Date: June 6, 2024, from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT

Location: Hyatt Regency Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

Description: At this purpose-driven conference, engage in private meetings, company presentations, and roundtables, and discover ways to accelerate the deployment of capital needed to build a more sustainable future for Canadians alongside growth-oriented, publicly traded clean energy and technology companies and climate-conscious investors.

2024 Clean Energy Summit

Date: June 11, 2024, from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT

Location: Delta Hotel Conference Centre, Burnaby, British Columbia

Description: Celebrate Burnaby as a hub for clean energy and attend panels covering a vast array of sustainability-oriented topics, including international perspectives and global trends, finance and investments, clean energy exports, renewable hydrogen, future market design, and more.

Wellbeing Economy Forum

Date: June 11 – 12, 2024

Location: Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland

Description: This purpose-driven event will gather together Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) members, act as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and change, and provide opportunities for game-changing discussions covering a wide range of pressing topics, including integrating wellbeing priorities in public budgeting, measuring sustainability, and the role of government and the economy in driving change, all with the goal of fostering sustainable wellbeing for all.

2024 Social Finance Forum

Date: June 12 – 13, 2024

Location: Online & In-Person, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montréal, and Halifax

Description: Curated and convened by the Future of Good, the Social Finance Forum is back! A unique hybrid event, this purpose-driven conference offers a digital experience as well as several in-person community hubs across Canada, bringing together 1,000+ social purpose leaders to learn actionable insights, celebrate game-changing ideas, and reshape finance tools for a better future. 

DEFY 2024

Date: June 12 – 14, 2024

Location: Le Centre Sheraton Montréal Hotel, Montréal, Québec

Description: CAMSC, CGLCC, and IWSCC, (SDAC) together with WEConnect International have joined forces to present this three-day supplier diversity event, packed with workshops, keynotes, matchmaking sessions, and opportunities to meet with diverse entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, government, and ecosystem partners driving positive change through business.

Summit on Responsible Investment 2024

Date: June 13, 2024

Location: Kelowna, British Columbia

Description: The Summit on Responsible Investment, hosted by the Canadian Securities Exchange, is back by popular demand! Sparx looks forward to attending and collaborating on this purpose-driven environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and socially responsible investing (SRI) event, so be sure to connect with us. Stay tuned, more information is coming soon!

Behavioural Insights into Business for Social Good 2024

Date: June 14 – 15, 2024

Location: Terminal City Club, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Engage in a cross-disciplinary dialogue about how insights from behavioural science research and business can be harnessed in a synergistic fashion to facilitate the greater social good, learn from expert speakers, and network with like-minded individuals using business for social good.

GreenFin 24

Date: June 17 – 19, 2024

Location: Javits Center, New York City, New York, United States

Description:  At this premier sustainable finance event, join forces with finance, sustainability, and investment professionals working to realize a net zero economy and gain insights into the latest sustainable finance and investing trends, accelerate sustainability strategies, and form valuable connections.

RSVP for a Free Consultation with Sparx

On a mission to make the world better? Our marketing experts can help make your impact story shine. Let’s talk purpose.

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Sustainability Tips

20+ Eco-Friendly and Zero-Waste Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day 2024

Love is in the air. It inspires us to do a world of good and does us a world of good, too. And so we look to celebrate the people who have brought so much joy to our lives by giving them a gift that will bring them joy.

Unfortunately, gift-giving can have consequences that aren’t so lovely, as it can generate waste or negatively impact the environment. But there are ways to give that are both heartwarming and sustainable.

Experiences make for excellent (zero-waste) gifts. After all, who doesn’t love spending time with their special someone? Rather than purchasing something new, consider creating memories your Valentine will always cherish by planning eco-friendly activities. For example, you could…

  • Enjoy Nature: Go for a walk or (tandem) bike ride and explore together. You may discover new paths and places to visit, interesting wildlife, and beautiful scenery.
  • Volunteer: Team up and take action like a true power couple by cleaning up local parks, beaches, or shorelines; helping at soup kitchens and shelters; or finding another way to volunteer. 
  • Have a Sustainable Dinner Date: Enjoy a sustainable dinner date with your beloved by ordering a zero-waste surprise bag with the Too Good To Go app, using waste-prevention recipes from Love Food Hate Waste Canada, or find an eco-friendly restaurant in the Vancouver area with EcoMeter. Want to try making dessert together? Check out Susgrainable’s upcycled barley flour baking mixes or visit EMKAO Foods to get the ethical and sustainably sourced ingredients you need to make your own chocolate treats.
  • Go Thrifting: Visit thrift shops, flea markets, and secondhand stores together to enjoy browsing through unique previously-loved items. You never know what treasures you’ll uncover — you may even find a one-of-a-kind gift!

However, if you want to buy a gift for your beloved, have no fear! We’ve compiled several eco-friendly gift suggestions that will help express your love while supporting the environment and other wonderful causes. Because nothing says heartfelt like a gift with real impact.

Just a reminder: be sure to package your gifts responsibly! Gift wrap tends to produce a lot of waste. Go reusable wherever possible (reusable bags, furoshiki wraps, scarves, newspapers, etc.) or present your gift wrap-free. 

Books & Stationery

Mimi & August Valentine’s Day Cards – These eco-friendly Valentine’s Day Cards made from recycled paper are perfect for sending a heartfelt message to your beloved.

Raoul & Simone Bouquet Notebooks – Give a lasting bouquet with these floral-themed notebooks made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper, produced using renewable energy, and have a recyclable velvet finish.

SproutWorld Pencils Spread the Love Edition – Let your love blossom with these regenerative plantable pencils, which are engraved with heartwarming quotes and contain various wildflower and herb seeds.

Sustainable Home by Christine Liu – Is your Valentine devoted to circular economy initiatives? Support their love with this practical guide to sustainable living so they can strengthen their commitment to the cause. Ebook options are available, and consider tracking down a previously loved copy and/or sharing with a friend for an extra eco-conscious touch!

Clothing & Apparel

Anne Mulaire Zero Waste Collection and Carbon Neutral Clothing Collection – Pick something unique, sustainable, and practical for your Valentine from these zero waste and carbon neutral collections by women-led, Indigenous-owned brand Anne Mulaire.

The Ocean Cleanup Recycled Sweatshirt – Show them your love is as deep as the ocean with this circular economy recycled sweatshirt. Or check out this page to donate to the Ocean Cleanup on behalf of your loved one and gift them a personalized donor certificate.

Province of Canada Recycled Socks – Help the homeless and give your Valentine a thoughtful gift that will have them walking on a cloud with these recycled cotton socks.

Sheppards Hook X Serena Wilson Stubson Collaboration necklaces – These collaboratively made eco-friendly, zero-waste necklaces are a unique and striking gift that will remain close to your beloved’s heart.

Food & Drink

Pluck Tea Valentine’s Day Teas – Find the perfect tea for your sweetie with Pluck Tea’s sustainably sourced and packaged Valentine’s collection.

Raven Rising Valentine’s Day Collection – Explore the Valentine’s Day collection and choose a beautiful and sustainable confection for your beloved from Indigenous women-owned and -operated brand Raven Rising.

Salt Spring Coffee French Roast Coffee – With caramel and chocolate notes, serving up this ethical, sustainable, 100% shade-grown French Roast coffee will be a real treat for your Valentine. Pair it with a Salt Spring Coffee CARE cup to really express yourself!

Southbrook Vineyards Valentine’s Day Bundle – Impress your Valentine with this romantic bundle, featuring organic and local Canadian-made wines and goods from Southbrook Vineyards, which has several sustainability certifications.

Home & Decor

Anián Recycled Wool Throw Blanket – Warm their heart with this warm and cozy recycled wool throw blanket made by Canadian circular fashion company Anián.

Goodee Mia Mini Vase Trio – Each vase in this beautiful set, available through Certified B Corp Goodee, is individually mouth-blown by expert artisans using 100% recycled glass.

Mala the Brand xoxo | mini candle gift set – Plant a tree with this trio of sweet-smelling sustainably made candles for your sweetie, hand-poured with love in Canada.

Nature Bee Valentine’s Day Swedish Dishcloth – Hearts and Stripes – These lovely dishcloths, made by an inclusive, woman-owned Canadian company, will add a sustainable touch to your beloved’s home.

Personal Care

Bottle None Travel Sets – Want to plan an adventure with your beloved? Help them prepare with these zero-waste soap and hair travel sets made from 100% recycled Canadian plastic.

Cheekbone Beauty Refillable Collection – Find the perfect sustainable gift for pampering your beloved with this refillable collection from Indigenous-owned and -operated B Corp Cheekbone Beauty.

Sisters Sage Pink Sugar Bath Bomb – From Indigenous brand Sisters Sage, these handmade, sustainable pink sugar bath bombs are a sweet-smelling gift for your sweetie.

The Yukon Soaps Company Essential Oil Blend Gift Set – Support Indigenous communities and delight your beloved with this soothing set of four natural, sustainable essential oil blends from Indigenous brand The Yukon Soaps Company.

Will You Be Our Valentine?

Are you engaging in purpose-driven efforts to make the world better? We (not-so-secretly) admire that. Contact us for a free consultation. We would love to spread the love (and impact) to your audience.

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Make The World Better Magazine

Sustainability Advantage: Equipping Sustainability Champions

Building a sustainable world where future generations can flourish within nature’s limits is going to take a lot of work from dedicated communities. In order to accelerate their sustainability journey, changemakers need free, accessible resources that will help them carry out this work as effectively as possible.

We spoke with Bob Willard, Founder of Sustainability Advantage, about how his platform is providing sustainability champions worldwide with the tools they need to make a lasting impact.

What was the “spark” that inspired you to start creating Sustainable Advantage content?

There were four sparks that inspired me.

First, in the mid-1990s, my wife and I became concerned about the planned location of a new water treatment plant for our community, Ajax, Ontario. We were uneasy about its close proximity to the upstream Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. Our concerns about the amount of unremovable radioactive tritium in our drinking water led to a three-year effort with multiple levels of government to relocate the water treatment plant. We were not successful. However, the intake pipe for the water plant was angled away from the Pickering nuclear plant, further out into Lake Ontario and deeper down, so the tritium would be more diluted. The experience shook my naïve faith that the people in charge were looking after us. It was a wake-up call that, as citizens, we sometimes have to roll up our sleeves and get involved. We also moved.

Second, during the water plant saga, my day job was leadership development at IBM Canada. We used learning organization principles in that training, so I undertook a part-time master’s degree about learning organizations at the University of Toronto (UofT). As the water plant issue evolved, I decided to complete my studies with courses at the UofT School of the Environment. That was an eye-opener. I had no idea how we were jeopardizing the ecosystem services on which human civilization depends. There were bigger issues than tritium in drinking water that needed our attention.

Third, also during the mid-1990s, I stumbled across The Natural Step (TNS) and learned how we were violating the four science-based system conditions for a thriving human society of a finite planet. We expect governments to fix this, but governments can’t do it alone. From my 34 years of experience at IBM, I knew that the resources, creativity, and influence of the business community were needed as well. But most companies only do things that benefit their bottom lines. We needed a compelling business case that reassured companies it was in their best interest to help address pressing environmental and social issues. I couldn’t find a convincing business case for corporate sustainability, so I decided to create one. It was my master’s thesis.

Fourth, my master’s thesis advisor casually suggested that I should convert my thesis into a book. I laughed. Why would I do that? Writing a book sounded like a lot of work. But he had planted a seed. In 2000, I received my master’s degree and retired from IBM. I don’t golf, so I decided to spend my leisure hours converting my thesis into a book, The Sustainability Advantage. I also created spreadsheets to help any company assess how much more profit it could make if it improved its environmental and social impacts. The book was published in 2002. The same year, I founded my sole proprietorship, Sustainability Advantage. 

Being a father, and soon-to-be grandfather, those four seeds found fertile ground, and my new career as a sustainability champion was launched. My family’s future was at stake. We need all hands on deck with tools that enable them to be effective change agents.

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Over the last 23 years, I have written six books, one of which is available in Portuguese, and given over 1,600 talks worldwide. I have served on the boards of many not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations. I am a Certified B Corp, qualify as a social enterprise, and have earned several awards for my work. I provide over a dozen free, open-source tools on my website to help sustainability champions assess organizational sustainability performance and cost-justify improvements. Subscribers can use and tailor the 900+ slides in my six Master Slide Decks for their purposes, saving them the effort of researching and creating the slides from scratch.

I am helping sustainability champions make an impact with these resources. Occasionally, I am approached by someone who heard me do a talk several years ago and they say it changed their lives. I get asked back to do guest presentations in college and university courses and do many keynotes at conferences worldwide. “Success” is creating resources that are useful. So far, I have anecdotal evidence that they are for the thousands who have downloaded them. That’s good enough for me.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

“You have to do it yourself; you can’t do it alone,” is one of the leadership paradoxes I explain in The Sustainability Champion’s Guidebook. As a sole proprietor, I have to work through others. I’ve served on the boards of influential organizations like TNS Canada, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC), and B Lab’s Standards Advisory Council (SAC). My website platform, with over a dozen free, open-source resources, helps the community of sustainability champions be more effective change agents. My 50–80 talks per year provide an opportunity to alert people to resources that can help them be more effective change agents so that they don’t waste time recreating them. It feels good to continuously hear back from kindred spirits who are making a difference in their spheres of influence with the aid of my resources.

Bob Willard

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

I have had the privilege of working with some amazing people to create my resources. I continuously upgrade them with new ideas and suggestions from users and reviewers. Creating content is the fun part. Building out the audience/users is the challenge. I am uneasy that well-intentioned sustainability champions may still be wasting time reinventing the wheel. I need to be better at raising awareness of my free, open-source resources.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

I am very concerned about climate change. I’m heavily engaged in encouraging governments, especially the Canadian government, to integrate Net-Zero Procurement (NZP) elements into their current procurement processes. NZP ensures that the buyer/government gets the best value for money by procuring the most climate-friendly goods and services from suppliers who are the most committed to science-based net-zero targets. The buying power of companies and governments using Net-Zero Procurement is a market force that will mobilize businesses in the race to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 or sooner.

In a robust NZP system, all suppliers, regardless of size or sector, must disclose their net-zero GHG reduction targets and plans. The disclosures include their current direct and indirect GHG inventories, their commitment to science-based net-zero targets, and their plans to reach those time-based targets.

In Canada, as in all countries, over 98% of companies are small, having fewer than 100 employees. Many of them are in government supply chains and would be required to make the above disclosures. However, most net-zero disclosure frameworks and standards are designed for large companies. They are very challenging for a small supplier. That’s why I created a short, reasonable questionnaire — the free, open-source Net-Zero Assessment Tool (NZAT) — for use by small and medium–sized enterprises who do not have the benefit of in-house sustainability staff or expertise. It enables any-size supplier to self-assess and disclose its commitment to net-zero targets.

Further, a NZP system makes the disclosed scores matter. All requests for proposals (RFPs) assign a weight of 10%–30% of the points — enough to make it matter — to suppliers’ net-zero assessment scores. For example, if the weight assigned to a supplier’s net-zero score was 20% and a supplier’s overall score on the net-zero assessment questionnaire was 68%, the supplier would earn 13.6% of the 20% weight. This approach incentivizes suppliers’ efforts to attain science-based net-zero targets, improve their scores, and earn preferential treatment over their competitors.

Why would a supplier bother making these net-zero disclosures? Because their important customer asks them to and their answer matters. If a supplier chooses not to complete the questionnaire, it is still eligible to be a supplier; it just earns a score of zero on their net-zero efforts and will not earn any of the points allotted to supplier net-zero commitment in the bid appraisal. It’s the supplier’s choice. That’s the magic in the disclosure superpower of NZP: it’s voluntary, it’s easy, and it matters.

How can people help support your mission?

My purpose is to ensure future generations have the opportunity for at least the quality of life that I have enjoyed. My vision is a sustainable world in which people and businesses flourish within nature’s limits. My mission is to provide resources to sustainability champions to help accelerate our sustainability journey before it’s too late. People can support me by using my free, open-source resources to help them be more effective change agents, starting with addressing the climate crisis.

For example, my save-the-world strategy starts with helping the Canadian government implement Net-Zero Procurement. Then we can package the system elements and make them available to other levels of government and to other countries. This improves the probability of meeting science-based global GHG reduction targets in time. Because NZP gives bonus points to suppliers if they use NZP with their own suppliers. NZP will soon be used by companies, worldwide.

Net-Zero Procurement is a starter set for a more comprehensive sustainable procurement system. Sustainable procurement (SP) ensures that the buyers/governments get the best value for money by procuring the most sustainable goods and services from the most sustainable suppliers. SP creates a market for sustainable products and an economy in which the most sustainable companies thrive. When governments and companies everywhere implement an SP system that makes sustainability scores matter, we will have attained the sustainable society, economy, and environment that we want.

Then I can really retire.

This story was featured in the Make The World Better Magazine:

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Make The World Better Magazine

Not My Problem: Inviting Newcomers to the Climate Space

It may be surprising that a lot of people are on the fence about climate change, succumbing to the negativity instead of taking action. By telling positive stories and sharing solutions, we can create a starting point for newcomers in the space and provide encouragement for those striving to make a difference.

We spoke with Naman Bajaj, Content Writer and Founder of Not My Problem, about how his platform is sparking meaningful conversations and inspiring folks to engage with the climate space.

What was the “spark” that first inspired you to start creating impact-focused content?

After completing my MBA in 2020, I had a filter in my mind: I wanted to work with startups that were doing something good for people and the planet. However, I had limited knowledge about the impact space, so I decided to talk to people who were building something in this area to learn more.

Of course, founders are busy people, juggling hundreds of different things. Why would they want to talk to someone like me? What would they get out of this conversation?

So, I decided to start a podcast series where I would interview founders of sustainability and social impact startups, where I recorded, edited, and published videos for free. This gave founders free PR and marketing for their brands, and I got some screen time with them.

I did around 50 episodes and that’s how I learned about this space. Through the solutions that these founders are building, I learned about the problems plaguing the planet and humanity. I thought it was a less overwhelming way to learn about the climate crisis and humanitarian problems that we are dealing with.

I decided to replicate this experience for others. I pivoted from podcasts to written content since I felt that it was easier to publish and distribute. In January 2021, I started building Not My Problem, a platform where I share stories of startups from around the world that are solving problems related to the climate crisis.

Not My Problem’s website

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

I am grateful to have received a flood of beautiful and kind messages in my inbox. They help me keep going on tough days. One message, in particular, stands out as my biggest win to date: someone told me that they use the positive and impactful stories I share to initiate climate change conversations within their circle.

A few amazing messages received from readers.

Instead of focusing solely on everything that’s not going right in the world, they introduce these impactful solutions to people in their group to start a conversation. People are more receptive when they hear these positive stories. It gives them hope that there are solutions being developed to combat the crisis, and they can become part of these solutions as customers, investors, employees, or cheerleaders.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

Most of my content is focused on people who are on the fence about climate change — folks who know things are not going well, but they don’t know where to start. Since I have been in this space for the past few years, I have these biases and assumptions that come into play when I am writing. One of my biggest challenges is to make my content free of these so that it does not become overwhelming for anyone wanting to make a change.

In the last few months, I have also understood that content distribution is a beast in itself. If your content is not reaching the right audience, it doesn’t matter how good it is, unless you are writing only for yourself. I have doubled down on my distribution in the past six to seven months and have started seeing some early wins. My LinkedIn followers have grown five times and the newsletter subscribers have quadrupled.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

Our newsletter is read by people from 85 countries. It’s amazing to think about the wide reach of our content and the diverse audience it attracts. One thing I’ve come to realize is that you never know who is reading your content and how it might be impacting their lives. I receive messages from people who tell me they discovered new brands through my LinkedIn posts, even though I’ve never seen them interacting with my posts directly. It’s a powerful reminder of the influence we can have through online platforms.

How the newsletter has grown since it started in January 2021.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

One of the most common requests we receive is to compile a database of the brands whose stories we share. So, we have started putting all of these brands into a Notion board, segregated by countries and categories. Paid subscribers to our newsletter have access to this database. I keep adding 25–50 brands to this database every week.

A glimpse of the brand database Not My Problem is building

How can people help support your mission?

I have been fortunate to have amazing connections in my network who share impactful startup stories with me. This makes my job easier, as I don’t have to actively search for them. If you come across any such stories that you want me to share, feel free to send me an email or message me on LinkedIn or Instagram.

If you enjoy newsletters, consider subscribing to our weekly newsletter, Not My Problem. Every Friday, we will send positive climate change stories to your inbox. If you are able to, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the time, research, and love that goes into crafting each edition.

This story was featured in the Make The World Better Magazine:

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Make The World Better Magazine

Squirrel News: Nourishing Good With Constructive Stories

Sometimes reading the news feels like wading through a mire, with no bright stories to interrupt the gloom. Curated, constructive news stories are needed to bring readers onto solid ground, shed light on solutions, and offer a much-needed reprieve.

We spoke with Jonathan Widder, Founder of Squirrel News, about how this application is sharing solutions-oriented stories and innovative approaches to help readers face today’s challenges with hope and clarity.

What was the “spark” that inspired you to start creating Squirrel News content?

Since 2015, I’d known about the ideas of constructive journalism and solutions journalism, and had dealt with these approaches in various projects. I saw how much readers longed for these kinds of stories but also how difficult it was for them to get a quality news digest of new solutions and societal progress. So, when the time came and my former job ended, I decided to take things into my own hands and founded an independent nonprofit to provide this news digest with my own team.

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

A few months after our launch, German national TV paid us a visit at home — as, everything else was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic — and a month later, an Emmy-winning comic, actor, and screenwriter from Los Angeles contacted us and eventually became the co-host of our new podcast. At the same time, I was elected as a LEDE fellow with the Solutions Journalism Network. 

In a survey we conducted earlier this year, our readers stated that reading Squirrel News improves their mental well-being and helps them to make sense of the world. 

But the most surprising moment happened on our podcast when we interviewed a researcher and activist for open prisons from India: prisons without walls, wardens, and guns. She was an expert on the topic and had successfully lobbied for a spread of these prisons across India — but when we asked her whether she knew the very similar prison model in Brazil, it turned out that she didn’t. We were able to make her aware of that, so she could connect, exchange, and potentially join forces with the activists in Brazil.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

It feels good to provide something that many people are looking for and to regularly have readers thank you for it. You definitely have the feeling that you’re on the right side of the world, and it’s a good and probably also important feeling to contribute to solutions and not to problems. 

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

I guess in our digital era it’s just difficult to get people’s attention, as there are so many different media outlets, organizations, and other people diffusing information — established media, news outlets, blogs, social media, and so on. Then, of course, there’s our very tight budget. We started things without any investors or big funding, so it’s always difficult to find the necessary resources to spread the word about our work. 

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

We just released the first major update of our mobile app since its inception, where we’ve made several major improvements and added a number of features to make using Squirrel News even more fun. Now we’re working on a funny and quite unique format to present our news in TikTok and Instagram videos. 

How can people help support your mission? 

People can read our news on our mobile app, newsletter, or website; spread the word about Squirrel News, both online and offline; and support us with recurring donations to make sure we can continue our work.  

Bonus: Why did you choose the name Squirrel News?

I thought a squirrel is a good symbol for what we do, as we collect solutions-focused news, just as a squirrel collects nuts. Apart from that, I was looking for something more entertaining than those usual dry names with three letters. I had the impression that many journalists take themselves a bit too seriously — even though they often do important work — so the squirrel is also an antidote against that.

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Sage Initiative: Supporting Indigenous Womxn Investors

Wealth has long been weaponized, creating divisions based on social class and excluding Indigenous Peoples from having a seat at the table. To shift the narrative and usher in true economic reconciliation, money needs to be used as medicine and matrilineal ways need to be restored. 

We spoke with Sage Lacerte, Founder & CEO of Sage Initiative, about how this collective is accelerating the rematriation of the Indigenous economy by supporting Indigenous womxn in the impact investment space.

What was the “spark” that first inspired you to start Sage Initiative?

As my mentor, Carol Anne Hilton, CEO and Founder of The Indigenomics Institute, says, “We are living in a time of Indigenous economic resurgence.” Sage Initiative was founded in 2019 and was an expression of love for all my relations, for Mother Earth, humans, and non-human beings. 

The “spark” that first inspired me to start Sage Initiative was when I learned more about how rich our Indigenous economy is and the realization that we are currently witnessing a generational shift in action and mindset toward a resurgence of Indigenous concepts of commerce. 

I asked, how can the impact investment sector contribute to the betterment of Indigenous communities in Canada? How can more Indigenous womxn take a seat at the economic table? How can impact investors participate in economic reconciliation and make values-aligned investments in Indigenous women and Two-Spirit–owned businesses?

Despite the growth in impact investing in Canada, Indigenous communities and businesses have stated that access to capital remains a significant impediment. Attracting patient capital for Indigenous-led businesses requires work on both sides: investors must familiarize themselves with potentially new business models, and entrepreneurs must be able to build their network, be willing to build partnerships, and showcase their work.

In our matrilineal societies, the matriarchs decide what the needs are of the community. So, by becoming investors, we are healing. That’s very central to the work of decolonizing, and it’s very central to the way that Indigenous commerce systems have worked for a very long time.

We want to shift the narrative because the systems of capitalism use wealth as a tool to divide people based on social class, and that system was not built with Indigenous people in mind. We are restoring our balance within ourselves and with the land. We are decolonizing wealth and restoring money as medicine.

This innovation brings an Indigenous approach to wealth. Circular in nature, our interwoven pedagogy introduces technical investing skills and practices with a balanced approach to investment that equally values social, environmental, and economic benefits. This is my chosen mechanism to promote intergenerational wealth and prosperity. 

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Sage Initiative was chosen as one of the first selected projects of the highly innovative program, the Indigenous Innovation Initiative.

One of the largest impact-first investors in Canada, Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) has supported a pipeline of over 1,300 innovations in 106 countries. The Indigenous Innovation Initiative (I3) is the first GCC program delivered in Canada with a focus on innovations led by Indigenous womxn innovators. The 10 selected projects have created impact across diverse areas, such as pre- and post-natal health, sustainable beauty, human sex trafficking and sex exploitation, and food sovereignty and sustainability. 

As a result of this support, Sage Initiative has set the precedent for Indigenous womxn in impact investment globally.

This year, Sage Initiative will host our third cohort of 15 Indigenous womxn impact investors and begin our journey transitioning to scale across Canada.

Our great successes this year have been hosting our first Sage Initiative Harvest Ceremony in Victoria, British Columbia, where members of cohorts 1 and 2 gathered for a week of ceremony and reflection to provide meaningful evaluation for the Initiative.

We also hosted two pitch events featuring Indigenous womxn–owned businesses from across Canada, including Chelsee Pettit from ᐋᓃᓐ aaniin retail inc., ENB Artisan, and The Yukon Soaps Company.

We have graduated two cohorts of Indigenous womxn impact investors from Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Tofino, Squamish, Edmonton, Burns Lake, Nanaimo, Halifax, and many more.

In our evaluation, investors have reported: 

  • Sage Initiative has allowed me to think much further into my future with more intention and critical thinking. I’ve adopted an intergenerational mindset when it comes to money, whether that ends up being my own children and grandchildren, or simply youth as a whole that deserve this knowledge and to be continuously uplifted.” – Sage Initiative participant 
  • “It’s transferred to other aspects of my life — when I stopped getting dopamine fixes from online shopping, I’ve traded it for kickboxing routines three times per day. I see my health as an investment now.” – Sage Initiative participant 
  • “As a result of Sage Initiative, I have given myself permission to spend without feeling guilty or anxious.” – Sage Initiative participant 
  • “My views have been completely altered since I myself have become an investor after being a part of Sage Initiative. I now see potential in everyone to be an investor especially the people and Indigenous people that will do good and be inclusive with their investments.”– Year 2 participant
  • “I feel worthy of money now. Money always felt unattainable. I never thought it would come into fruition for me.” – Year 1 participant 
  • “I met investors who had a good heart and were just everyday people, not necessarily working in a bank. Investors can be my aunties, my cousins, my family.”– Year 1 participant

We have also found that:

  • 100% of Sage Initiative participants feel ready to make an investment. 
  • 100% of Sage Initiative participants have made an investment since joining the collective. 
  • 80% feel they could now be a successful social impact investor. 
  • Not only did our program create the trauma-informed safety conditions to create belonging for participants, 95% of Sage participants said they felt belonging in the Indigenous Impact Investor community.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

Sage focuses on Indigenous-owned sustainable energy projects, underscoring the urgent need to address environmental concerns alongside social impact.

Financial capital alone is insufficient. We emphasize the importance of social capital, community connections, gift economy, and entrepreneurial mindset. We facilitate access to financial resources, networks, and mentorship. The Initiative aims to empower Indigenous women and non-binary individuals to feel a sense of belonging in the impact investment landscape. We work to transcend the current investment paradigm which privileges androcentric and extractivist worldviews.

Creating a seat at the economic table for Indigenous women, two-spirit, non-binary folks is deeply important to me. The purchasing power of the queer community is significant. The entire venture capital industry is led by white cisgender males, and because of that there is an implicit bias. 2SLGBTQIA+ founders are routinely overlooked and undervalued. Many members of the queer community relate to each other with feelings of longing to belong and feeling out of place in heteronormative environments. Not only are we looking to support Indigenous founders, but building on this demographic, it is important to define a 2SLGBTQIA+ lens in our impact investment thesis.

Roughly 2 million people in Canada identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, collectively spending $90 billion per year. I want to role model what it looks like for a queer Indigenous woman to stand at the forefront of innovation in the Indigenous impact investment landscape.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in building out your audience?

My personal journey and academic background in gender policy shaped the design of Sage Initiative. Instead of perpetuating the Western-centric approach prevalent in mainstream finance education, I recognized the importance of honouring Indigenous epistemology and creating a curriculum rooted in Indigenous concepts of commerce.

I did not want anyone in the industry to assume that Indigenous womxn’s success is due to our gender but rather our skills and competence.

I have also faced racism. Economic reconciliation will look like white people being comfortable with Indigenous people’s wealth.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

Sage Initiative is planning to launch our third impact investment cohort of 15 Indigenous womxn impact investors in September 2024. We plan to transition to scale in 2024 as well, with cohorts across Canada widely available to Indigenous and non-Indigenous folks!

How can people help support your mission?

We invite Indigenous womxn to apply to Sage Initiative.

If you would like to lend your expertise and lived experience, join Sage Initiative`s national network as a mentor.

We also encourage you to buy Indigiqueer-owned products and services, educate yourself on colonization and how to engage in reconciliation, and create space at the economic table for equity-deserving communities.

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RIPPLE of CHANGE: Sharing Stories to Create Waves of Impact

Every one of us has the power to make a positive change in the world and inspire others to do the same. Sharing the work changemakers are doing with like-minded audiences creates a powerful ripple effect that can spread across the world.

We spoke with Whitney Larson, Creative Director of RIPPLE of CHANGE, about how this purpose-driven magazine uplifts changemakers by amplifying their inspiring stories.

Pictured here are the five original co-founders of ROC. (Clockwise from top: Christy Schmid, Mel Sutjiadi, Cicely Belle Blain, Whitney Larson, and Kate Bouchard)

What was the “spark” that inspired you to start producing RIPPLE of CHANGE?

In 2018, I travelled to India with Christy Schmid, another founding partner of the RIPPLE of CHANGE (ROC) team, to work with the Milaan Foundation. We were there to document stories of girls who are fighting to change the education system — quite literally the embodiment of “ripple of change.” These girls are given resources from the Milaan Foundation to go out into their communities and form a group of 20–25 other girls who also want a continued education past the age that their society typically allows. We saw the confidence and strength of these girls and started talking about how we could share their stories and similar stories of changemakers with a larger audience. 

As a creative duo — a designer and a photographer — we often found ourselves asking the question, “How can we take our talents and use them to make the world better?” We realized that we could use our creativity and influence to share stories like that of Kushboo and Rajkumari, two girls from rural Uttar Pradesh who transformed their own community through education and empowerment. RIPPLE of CHANGE was born to highlight this story, and hundreds of others, in a way that will inspire and engage a global audience of volunteers, activists, and changemakers. And ultimately, encourage them to join in.

What do you consider to be your biggest success?

The story of our launch. In 2020, when everything felt dark and overwhelming, Christy and I, along with three other founders, were committed to telling stories of hope and change. As the struggle, pain, and inequity of our collective experience surfaced, we came together, built the brand, and produced and launched the first issue of ROC in under six months.

We chose grounded optimism to offer clear, tangible suggestions for how to take action. I’m proud that our perspective on how to mobilize change was able to connect others in ways we never had before.

Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Before ROC was born, while Christy and I were in India, we spent our first full day with an incredible girl named Rajkumari. She showed us around her village and told us stories about the challenges she overcame to pursue an education. She opened her heart to us and told us about the people who lifted her up and those who tried to stand in her way. At the end of the day, we stood on the roof of her house, taking her picture as the sun went down. She turned to us and said, “Thank you — you made me feel like Superman today.”

It was such a beautiful moment and has become a kind of internal bar, amplifying people and stories like hers to create that positive ripple effect of goodwill, support, and encouragement.

Since then, we feel it when hearing people talk about what they learned from our articles or seeing the excitement on someone’s face when we discuss how we can tell their story to inspire others. We have that excitement on our internal team, but it’s so encouraging to have it reinforced by the responses and actions of others.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

Hopeful. And proud of all the people who have opened their hearts, arms, and minds to the ideas.

We often talk about the power of small conversations. We encourage people to speak up and ask questions, even if they’re talking to an audience of one, because you never know how far that conversation will travel. There’s no telling how your ideas and perspective might open the mind of someone who was closed off to change in the past. 

One of ROC’s favourite steps in the production process is hanging the pages on the wall and reviewing the book from a bird’s eye lens. Here, their Chicago mascot Hass, is giving it a final review.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

Fear and anger can be conversation stoppers. We’ve worked hard to build a platform that encourages inclusivity. That is why the foundation of each of our stories is a personal or lived experience.

Even if you don’t understand the entire experience, you can usually relate to a person on some level and that starts to open hearts and minds. We hope readers approach our stories and content with a sense of curiosity and willingness to engage with a perspective other than their own.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

We have a few projects in the idea-building phase and will be sharing more in our newsletter soon. We’re looking at how we can engage individuals but also offer opportunities for companies to inspire their staff and act on their goals for social change. We’re thrilled to have three new partners on the team, Bob Roth, Jimmy Watkins, and Kara McPherson, and are working on a mix of digital and in-person events and community-builders, including an Issue 04 launch party!

How can people help support your mission?

Join our email newsletter and jump into conversations on our social platforms. We believe change happens when people with different experiences and viewpoints are willing to share and speak honestly with each other. Small, constructive conversations lead to empathy and positive movement all across the world.

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Love Food Hate Waste Canada: Helping Everyone Prevent Waste

When it comes to our individual fight against climate change, where should we start?  We all know the importance of reducing our individual environmental impact, and food waste is one area we can all work on right away, with the right tools, right from the comfort of our own kitchens.

We spoke with Joanne Gauci, Campaign Manager at Love Food Hate Waste Canada, about how this initiative is helping to end food waste by educating Canadians on prevention at home.

Love Food Hate Waste Canada’s “Labour of Love” campaign, which showcased real farmers across Canada.

What was the “spark” behind the Love Food Hate Waste Canada campaign?

Metro Vancouver first launched Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) in the region in 2015. Then, building on the success of the regional campaign, we launched the initiative across Canada through the National Zero Waste Council in 2018. The motivation behind launching the campaign was to take a “prevention-first” approach to tackling food waste. Food waste is an urgent but solvable local and global challenge, and through LFHW Canada we are able to work with many partners across the country to inspire and empower people to make their food go further and waste less. Today, LFHW Canada represents a unique national collaboration, uniting a variety of business, government, and community champions all working together to tackle food waste in the home.

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Everybody has a role to play in tackling food waste, and I think our biggest success has been engaging a variety of partners across the country so that everyone hears the same consistent messaging, whether they are at the grocery store or their community market, for example.  LFHW Canada has grown to become Canada’s leading resource for preventing household food waste due to the efforts of our partners and champions across the country.

By working together, we are able to have a much bigger impact than we can on our own, and Food Waste Action Week, which has taken place in March for the past two years in a row, is a great example of the power of aligning messaging locally and globally. This is an event that we run in collaboration with the international network of LFHW Canada partners, and for that one week, different organizations come together to raise awareness about the issue and opportunities for change. Food Waste Action Week 2023, which ran from March 6–12, was the most engaged campaign we have run since we launched in 2018, garnering over three million impressions across Canada for a week of coordinated activity.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

We hear first-hand that the Love Food Hate Waste Canada website and resources have helped families and individuals make their food last longer, save money, and ultimately prevent food waste. Our campaign partners are extremely active as well, sharing food waste prevention tips and messaging in their local communities, and you will see many of them at your summer farmers market. Food waste is one area where citizens can have a huge impact on climate change, and we feel proud to be working with others across the country to tackle this important issue. 

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience? 

We are lucky — there haven’t been a lot of challenges in our content creation to date; people generally love to talk about food and share their own tips and strategies for preventing food waste. However, we do a lot of myth-busting! For example, people often think that if they put their food in the green bin, then there isn’t an environmental impact. The green bin is absolutely the best way to manage unavoidable food waste, like banana peels and egg shells, but the truth is Canadians are wasting much more food than they realize. Our research suggests that approximately 63% of the food we throw out could have been eaten. That leaves a lot of room for improvement!

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

This year we have a big focus on tackling fresh produce waste, which is the most commonly wasted food type in Canadian homes. We completed research that brings to life the journey of five different foods: blueberries, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and apples. This research can be found on our website and underpins our current “Labour of Love” campaign, which aims to connect Canadians to the farmers who grow our food and emphasizes the important role of storage in keeping produce fresher for longer. 

Ultimately, this campaign is about getting people to think about the story behind their food, and all of the resources, labour, and care that went into making it. This is a multi-phased project that has been partly funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, and we look forward to reporting on our key findings.  

How can people help support your mission? 

Share the message that #EveryBiteCounts and encourage fellow Canadians to visit lovefoodhatewaste.ca to get easy tips and tricks to prevent food waste at home.

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Intersectional Environmentalist: Growing the Movement

In the face of global crises, historically-excluded communities are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. Luckily, there is a growing movement that looks at this issue through an intersectional lens, and the individuals behind it are working hard to educate others and spread awareness to take action. 

We spoke with Sabs Katz, Co-Founder and Partnerships Lead at Intersectional Environmentalist, about how this collective is amplifying the intersectional environmentalism movement through content creation, activations, education, and community-building.

IE team and community at the inaugural Earth Sessions Show in Brooklyn in April 2022.

What was the “spark” that inspired you to start creating Intersectional Environmentalist content?

Intersectional Environmentalist (IE) was founded during the resurgence of the civil rights movement back in 2020. After the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, there was little vocal support from the environmental community. Leah Thomas (@greengirlleah) created an Instagram post that would end up going viral, calling on climate advocates to stand in solidarity with Black lives and defining intersectional environmentalism. 

With the momentum and support from the climate justice community online, Leah connected with fellow environmentalists like Diandra Marizet (@diandramarizet), Phil Aiken (@philthefixer), myself (@sustainablesabs), and our larger community to develop a resource hub and Instagram page for learning more about the intersections between climate and social justice.

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

There are so many things we’ve been proud of, but if I have to choose one I’d say it’s the community we’ve built. Being in community with and having support from 500K individuals across the world has been so affirming. Seeing folks engage with and use our resources, as well as start clubs and groups dedicated to intersectional environmentalism, seeing students change their school curriculum, and even hearing the White House speak to the importance of intersectionality in the climate space shows just how prolific this movement is and how much it’s needed!

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

It’s been incredible to have a pulse on our reach and to see how people are taking the message of intersectional environmentalism and really embodying it. By leading with climate optimism, storytelling, and solutions, our community has taken these environmental justice learnings and empowered themselves to start community groups, join local gardens, and participate in wealth distribution for grassroots organizations.

IE Team and community at a hike in Southern California in 2021.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

Challenges like the ever-changing algorithm, emerging trends, and digital burnout have encouraged us to get creative and reimagine how we disseminate and share our resources with people. Content creation and education/awareness will always be a part of our offerings, so we’re excited to continue navigating the digital landscape and using social media as a tool for building this movement.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

We’re currently re-imagining the next chapter for IE, and through that process are focusing on continuing to support our online community with educational assets and fostering more in-person activations that bridge communities with their local environmental justice (EJ) leaders through offerings like Earth Sessions (@earthsessions.ie), workshops, campus visits, and book giveaway meet-ups.

How can people help support your mission?

Following and engaging with our content, joining local environmental justice initiatives, taking action toward the things you’re passionate about (e.g. joining a community garden, supporting frontline communities, voting, etc.), amplifying climate optimism and solutions, and supporting grassroots climate justice organizations are all ways we, as individuals, can support a more equitable and inclusive future.

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David Suzuki Foundation: Catalyzing Climate Activism

Successful climate activism has the power to drive positive change at all levels, from personal to governmental. In order to achieve this, though, we need educational tools to utilize, movements to engage with, and climate solutions to implement. 

We spoke with Craig David Long, Content Manager, about how the David Suzuki Foundation is educating and empowering Canadians to build healthier environments and sustainable communities with its over 30 years of experience.

David Suzuki participated in workshops and breakout sessions at the “Building Power: a Future Ground Network convergence” Vancouver event to help participants dive deeper into how to build and coordinate power collectively and strategically against forces driving the climate crisis.

What was the “spark” that inspired your founders to start creating educational content at the David Suzuki Foundation?

The David Suzuki Foundation got its start in 1990 after a CBC Radio series David Suzuki hosted called “It’s a Matter of Survival.” So many listeners were alarmed by the discussion of environmental problems, including climate change, that about 17,000 people sent in letters asking what they could do. The Foundation’s goal was to provide education and, above all, solutions. 

To complement its activism and on-the-ground public engagement work, the Foundation has worked with the David Suzuki Institute and Greystone Books to publish more than 60 books, many of which have won national and international awards. The Foundation has also published the weekly syndicated Science Matters column under David Suzuki’s name for the past 25 years. 

What do you consider to be the Foundation’s biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Over its 34-year history, the Foundation has had many successes. The “Declaration of Interdependence,” written for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, formed the Foundation’s guiding principles in its early years, and portions of it were woven into the Earth Charter, which continues to gain adherents today. 

Additionally, working with Indigenous Peoples and communities and supporting community activism through the Future Ground Network and Réseau Demain le Québec have informed and helped amplify the Foundation and its allies’ critical environmental work. 

As well, our scientific research and reports have helped reform fisheries practices, offer ways for Canada to reach zero-emissions electricity by 2035, and hold governments to account for habitat protection. 

Last but certainly not least, the Foundation’s Blue Dot Tour and movement provided a major push for Canada’s decision to enshrine the right to a healthy environment in law.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

Our many supporters and followers give us hope. We believe that the Foundation’s adherence to evidence-based information and its collaborative approach are making a difference in Canada and beyond. With the climate and biodiversity crises the world faces, it’s up to us all to do our part to educate and bring about positive change. The David Suzuki Foundation is proud to be part of this growing movement.

Performance stage at a Healing Forest at Riverside School’s Knowledge Path in Albert Bridge, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on unceded Mi’Kmaq territory.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

Like most environmental organizations, the David Suzuki Foundation must find ways to reach a larger audience and not just talk to those who are already on the same side as us. With limited resources, we also have to focus our work and temper expectations from the public about the amount of work we can take on and the issues we can help with. Working with other organizations, community groups, and networks to mutually support each other’s work helps. 

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

The Foundation will continue its critical climate and clean energy work, campaigning for renewable power for all, following up on our research that shows how Canada can have 100% emissions-free electricity by 2035. We will also work at the municipal level to empower citizens and councils to enact sound climate and sustainability practices and regulations, and boost ambition and implementation. And we’ll continue our work in biodiversity and habitat protection, including the Butterflyway Project, pollinator program, and orca and salmon conservation.

Working to build healthier environments and sustainable communities on this land we call Canada requires a diversity of voices and a wide range of knowledge and ideas, especially the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples who have known these lands and waters for millennia. The Foundation’s collaborative work on reports and a series of videos explaining “Land Back” and treaties shows how land governance must change to recognize and uphold Indigenous rights and responsibilities and to restore nature’s once abundant ecosystems.

The Foundation is also working with the National Healing Forests Initiative to encourage reconciliation by dedicating space in forests, gardens, or green spaces as places for healing, learning, sharing, and reflecting on Canada’s history and the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.

As always, we at the Foundation know that environmental and social justice go hand in hand, and we strive to be an inclusive and powerful amplifier for the many diverse voices calling for better ways of living on this land and with each other.

As always, you can learn about the above and other good work, at davidsuzuki.org

How can people help support your mission?

People can get involved in many ways, including volunteering, getting involved in campaigns, signing petitions and joining actions, and donating. We offer opportunities for volunteers in everything from pollinator work and the Butterflyway Project to the Suzuki Elders. It’s also important for people to talk to friends, family, coworkers, and others about the climate and biodiversity crises and their solutions. Greater awareness leads to growing potential for change.

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