A beautifully curated space in London, buzzing with energy as the guests and panel come together to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing our planet today. We wait with bated breath; the stage was all set for an evening of insightful discussion on environmental sustainability.
A week later, I pen down my takeaways from mediating this discussion. It was an experience that left me more informed about the challenges, hopeful about the future, and enriched at meeting three eminent changemakers who create an indelible impact today for a better tomorrow.
I start by thanking Project Associates and Wren Investment Office, the hosts who were responsible for bringing together an incredible panel that included Rt Hon. Lord Deben, Chair of the UK’s independent Committee on Climate Change, Dame Amelia Fawcett, Chair of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Ben Goldsmith, founder and CEO of London-listed investment firm Menhaden.
Their diverse perspectives made for an insightful discussion on the options stakeholders have to promote environmental sustainability. Lord Deben was filled with insights from government policies, areas that are working well and areas where that need more attention to meet climate agreements while sharing political challenges and impressing on the government’s role in championing change. Dame Amelia explored corporate social responsibility and the role of businesses in promoting biodiversity, while also digging into the needs of more value focused and Ben Goldsmith focused on the investors’ perspective, what has been successful and how we can learn from the past and bring knowledge into the present day, as well as focusing on the importance that nature plays in association with investing in sustainability.
Collectively, these changemakers – with a single-minded passion for safeguarding our environment – focused on the need for collaboration and innovation across.
Two pertinent questions from the panel discussion stuck with me; they continue to make me think about Forming Impact and its role in enabling changemakers with the information and connections to build partnerships that could amplify environmental sustainability initiatives across the globe.
I leave these questions here for our community and audience to read; may they intrigue and inspire each of us to question the status quo and compel us to act.
How can we encourage more collaboration and innovation between governments, corporations, and investors in order to accelerate progress towards a more sustainable future?
How can investors take action to promote environmental sustainability, and what role do they play in holding governments and corporations accountable for their actions?
As the event came to a close, I was left feeling inspired and motivated. Yes, there is still a long way to go, but I am reassured by the fact that there are so many people out there who are working towards the same goal. I am also reminded that Forming Impact has a role to play in promoting environmental sustainability, whether it’s through individual actions, collaborative events and forming partnerships.
This event and discussion were transformative, and we were left with the chatter of needing more discussion on this topic and more direction for change. There is urgency within the environmental sustainability issue, and I continue to advocate that this is a collective issue, and that we can make a real difference if we work together. I look forward to continuing to play my (and Forming Impact’s) part in creating a more sustainable future for all.