Meet the CBI Sustainability Community
Find out who sits on our Steering group, and we'll share a brief interview with a new member each month too.
The CBI Sustainability Community is a peer-peer network for mid to senior-level sustainability professionals. These individuals represent SMEs, large corporates, consultancies, and boutique businesses from across the economy, all sharing a common purpose to bring their organisations’ emissions to net zero and create a more sustainable business.
The Community has a Steering group, consisting of the following senior sustainability practitioners:
- David Reid, Chief Executive, Fuel Change
- Paul Irwin-Rhodes, Head of Sustainability and SHE, Greggs Plc
- Gabrielle Giner, Head of Environmental Sustainability, BT Group plc
- Vanessa Havard-Williams, Consultant, Senior sustainability lawyer, Linklaters
- Nancy Hobhouse, Head of ESG, EvRi
- Alessandra Badino, Head of Sustainability & Environment UK, Airbus
The Community's secretariat is Milda Jardine, Senior Proposition Manager, CBI.
Meet our newest Community members
Dr Roddy Yarr, Director of Sustainability at the University of Glasgow
Q. How long have you worked in sustainability and what attracted you to it?
A. Pretty much my whole career has involved environmental management and what we now call sustainability and social responsibility. I started my career as a geologist but I also had responsibility for water quality, noise and air quality compliance for the mining sector. I am a farmer’s son so I have always had a strong interest in nature and land use and especially how everything links together in terms of systems.
Q. Why did you join CBI Sustainability Community and what would you like to gain from it?
A. I'm keen to know more about how industry can be more sustainable and socially inclusive and how I can both share and learn from the CBI community. I observe that we need to take the technology and innovation that exists and deploy it more quickly but using new economic strategies and approaches that also include those affected.
Q. What tangible progress have you made against your sustainability objectives this year – and how will you build on that in 2024?
A. I've recently moved to the University of Glasgow, so I am on a fairly steep learning curve, meeting colleagues and a new team of sustainability experts, understanding how to achieve the University’s operational sustainability objectives – and quickly! That said I have already been able to set out a clear vision around the creation of Climate Neutral assets and places where we operate. Assets that are carbon neutral in operation and adapted to the changing climate but that also enable socially inclusive outcomes with our local communities. I'm continuing to build the strong links that I have with city and region working groups for sustainability. I'm hugely excited to be at the University in this decade of change with regards climate and sustainability aspects.
Q. What are you reading/listening to that you’d recommend to your peers?
A. I'm reading a book called Five Times Faster by Simon Sharpe, which charts a radical but realistic path to net zero emissions. I like the way that Simon presents a detailed yet practical approach and tries to balance optimism with realism. I'm also a fan of the Local Zero Podcast led by Professor Matt Hannon, Rebecca Ford and Fraser Stewart. This team takes a very eclectic look at net zero issues based around people and place. Light hearted but also highly informative for a practitioner like me! https://www.localzeropod.com/
Paul Hitchens, Brand Strategist and Educator at Verve.co.uk
Q. How long have you worked in sustainability and what attracted you to it?
A. I first became interested in sustainability by working on brand guidelines for Vauxhall Motors environmental and mobility programmes in the late 1990’s.
The German Industrial Designer Dieter Rams attracted my attention to the obligation of designers to create sustainable solutions through his seminal manifesto ‘Ten Principles for Good Design’. His charter inspired me to co-author my first book ‘Create The Perfect Brand’ - a ‘Teach Yourself’ guide to responsible brand guardianship in 2010.
My 2017 TEDx Talk ‘Innovate your brand experience through Purpose and Values’ advocated the need for ethical brands through shared beliefs and a positive culture.
Q. Why did you join CBI Sustainability Community and what you’d like to gain from it?
A. Joining the CBI Sustainability Community is a great opportunity to meet with like-minded people. I was a roundtable host at the CBI Sustainability Community Focus Group: Enabling Organisational Change. As a brand communication and culture specialist I know how important it is to network, learn and share insights and positivity.
Q. What tangible progress have you made against your sustainability objectives this year (or the achievement you’re most proud of) – and how will you build on that in 2024?
A. In late 2022 I researched and created a new open training course on Sustainable Brand Strategy which I launched and now present through the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). This new course is part of the CIM’s ‘Sustainable Transformation Hub’ and is open to anyone interested in gaining a practical understanding of the criteria for developing an ethical and sustainable brand strategy.
Generation Z have had the British Values of democracy, The rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs taught to them at school. As this generation enters the workplace, they are seeking meaningful work in organisations that are aligned with their own values. The future of British industry depends on this generation and is obligated to create an equitable, diverse and inclusive environment. My work at Verve.co.uk in 2024 is focused on helping organisations grow sustainable brands and healthy cultures.
Q. What are you reading / listening to that you’d recommend to your peers?
A. John Grant is my favourite accessible and inspirational author on Sustainability and Green Marketing. He has worked with the Body Shop, Ikea and countless household brand names. I would recommend starting with ‘The Green Marketing Manifesto’ (2007) for its 'Green Matrix' and follow this with his most recent book ‘Greener Marketing’ (2020) for its clear, practical and actionable guidance. These books are both published by John Wiley & Sons Inc.
The Podcast I recommend is ‘Can Marketing Save The Planet?’ presented by Gemma Butler and Michelle Carvill. This regular podcast has been interviewing leaders in sustainability since February 2021 and now has over 60 episodes of inspirational advice and opinions on Sustainability.
