How to Build a Sustainable Career Path

Here are three key pieces of advice for those beginning their careers in AI and Sustainability (drawn from my two decades of experience) ... 1. Master the fundamentals first In both AI and sustainability, foundational literacy is non-negotiable. Learn basic coding, critical thinking, understand materiality assessments, scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, as well as regulatory frameworks such as ... > the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) > Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) > Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) > the GHG Protocol 2. Invest in yourself The most sustainable asset in your career will always be you. Learn to learn. Attend quality and often free online training, join conferences, pick up general or specialized ESG certifications. Keep up with the latest thinking. Some notable annual events on climate action, social and environmental stewardship are … 📍Climate Week NYC 📍COP 30, United Nations Climate Change Conference  📍World Economic Forum (WEF), Davos Some of the most storied AI & ML Conferences include ... - NeurIPS, Neural Information Processing Systems - a focus on neural networks https://nips.cc - [ICML] Int'l Conference on Machine Learning, International Conference on Machine Learning - is focused on machine learning in general https://icml.cc - ICLR, International Conference on Learning Representations - with deep learning or learning representations as a thrust area https://iclr.cc 3. Seek interdisciplinary exposure The most valuable roles in the future may well be the emerging are "Sustainable AI Engineers" who understand both ML algorithms and environmental systems. And here's one important insight that’s often overlooked … Reach out to industry mentors who might be happy to guide you on your learning and experimentation journey. Their guidance can accelerate both your learning and impact. I hope that this serves as a useful starting point. Feel free to tag someone who might benefit from this advice! #Career #AI #Sustainability

My career advice for young professionals and fresh graduates interested in the sustainability industry. After two decades in sustainability, here's what I wish someone had told me when I started. 1. Build your career at the intersection of sustainability and another field. Want to stand out? Don't just be a "sustainability person." Be the finance person who understands carbon markets. The supply chain person who knows circular economy principles. The marketing strategist who can avoid greenwashing. 2. Your degree alone won't cut it. The most successful sustainability professionals I know are always learning. You will face new frameworks, new guidelines, new regulations, and new technologies, very frequently in your career. This means you need to continously learn new things and keep updated on the latest happenings in the sustainability industry. 3. Focus on implementation, not theory. Don't focus on coming up with the perfect strategy or initiative. Start small, fail fast, gather feedback, and adjust quickly. You need to show results to build credibility and trust with internal and external stakeholders. 4. Master the art of measuring impact. In a world drowning in ESG claims and sustainability reports, those who can rigorously measure and prove impact will rise to the top. Learn impact measurement, carbon accounting, and life cycle assessments. 5. Build a personal brand around communicating sustainability solutions and stories. Don't just solve environmental problems. Share your success stories. Document your solutions. Create content about insights, innovations and breakthroughs. The sustainability space needs more sharing of best practices. What's your career advice? Share them in the comments below.

The sustainability career path no one tells you about: 1. Learn the frameworks, acronyms, and tools cue spreadsheets (GHG, GRI, SDGs, CDP, TCFD…)…. 2. Realise most stakeholders don’t speak that language….. 3. Get great at simplifying and communicating in relatable language and set targets.. 4. Realise people don’t care about targets, they care about money… 5. Get great at connecting impact to P&L, risk, and brand…. 6. Realise decisions still happen without (or despite) the evidence… 7. Get great at influence without positional authority, budgets, clear policy… 8. Realise organisational politics and perverse incentives beat logic on most days…. 9. Get great at choosing leverage points and letting go of the rest…. 10. Finally understand the job was about people, not spreadsheets, all along…. Tools, ratings, policies, budgets change every year. Sustainability is people work. People don’t like change, and this needs to be a transformational change. Help people and companies navigate change and transition - that’s the work. Inspired by Dr Jacqueline Kerr. #Sustainability #SustainableBusiness #Transformation

Early-career advancement in a demanding profession can feel like sprinting a marathon: exciting, high-stakes, and at times overwhelming. What I have learned is that ambition alone is not the differentiator. Sustainability is. I made a deliberate decision early on to build a career anchored in three commitments: • Mentorship — Because none of us succeed alone. The people who invest in you, challenge you, and open doors for you shape your trajectory in ways technical training never could. I now try to pay that forward at every stage. • Wellness — Not as a buzzword, but as a non-negotiable. I grew up on a farm where long days were the norm, but so was taking care of your mind and body so you could show up with purpose. That lesson followed me to Washington, D.C. and into every chapter of my legal career. • Values-aligned work — My litmus test has remained the same: Does this matter? Does it serve innovators solving real problems in agriculture and biotechnology? Does it support communities, from rural to urban, that depend on scientific progress? If the answer is yes, I know I am on the right track. Ambition builds momentum. Alignment builds longevity. And together, they build careers that make an impact. If you are navigating your own early career in law, agriculture, biotechnology, or anywhere in between, remember: sustainable success is not always about doing more. It is about doing what matters - consistently, intentionally, and with people who help you grow. 🌱 *Excerpt from a forthcoming interview.*

A recent conversation with a mentee trying to navigate the next steps in their career reminded me of an essential rule I always emphasize: You own your career, therefore you have to be in the driver's seat. They recently received some feedback from their manager that was confusing as it didn’t align with previous feedback. The conversation on next steps was very vague. Reality check: waiting for clear guidance or validation from others can leave you stuck in neutral. Instead, you must proactively manage your own career path. Here are a few things I suggested: 1. Do a Self-Assessment You need to understand your strengths, weaknesses, passions, and career aspirations. Identify what excites you and where you see yourself in the future. Remember they can all change due to new experiences and gaining new skillsets. 2. Seek Constructive Feedback While feedback from leadership is valuable, it’s important to triangulate. Reach out to mentors, peers, and others in your function that you admire for their insights. Feedback is just one piece of the puzzle. Use it as a tool for improvement, not as a definitive roadmap. You never know when you might run into an unconscious bias. 3. Continuous Learning and Development I’m ever curious and always looking for learning opportunities. Look for opportunities to learn from other functions. The business world is continusly changing, and staying on top of the game, requires investing time to learn. Stay informed about your current industry trends but also look for best practices in others. 4. Advocate for Yourself People can’t read your mind, so they don’t know what your career goals and aspirations are. Don’t be afraid to articulate them to your leadership. Express your interest in new projects, responsibilities, or roles that align with your goals. 5. Adaptability and Resilience Career paths are rarely linear. My own has been a lattice. Be adaptable. Embrace challenges and view setbacks as learning experiences. Being in the driver's seat of your career means taking an intentional role in your professional development. While others can give you guidance, the ultimate responsibility for your career lies with you. What else would you tell him?

How to be more intentional about your career direction (especially if you want to work on climate): Think in phases. 1) Explore Phase - Figure out what's possible, what's needed, and what gives you energy. → 💼 Employees: Map what your company is doing today and learn what resources are available by talking to other people at your org (Green Teams, educational programs, existing services / product offerings, etc.). Read your company's sustainability report to get a baseline understanding of priorities and progress. Research emerging sustainability + business trends in your industry. Look at what competitors are doing. → 🧭 Job Seekers: The job search can't start until you get out of the "Explore" phase. Be curious. Sample different sectors that interest you by reading articles, listening to podcasts, and following leaders in that space. Look at where investment is going and try to simplify different business models down to a level that you can explain to a 5th grader. Notice which sector is capturing most of your interest, time, and energy. Your best bet is to focus on exploring that path first. 2) Focus Phase - Define your direction and find the whitespace to fill. → 💼 Employees: Connecting sustainability to business value will get leaders to listen. Learn more about how your company makes money and what levers they can pull to operate more sustainably. Zoom in to figure out where you can have an impact in your role, team, or department. Create your own opportunities by being curious. Treat your work like a series of mini-experiments. Reach out to your company's sustainability team to let them know about your desire to contribute. This prep will help you move past a surface-level conversation. → 🧭 Job Seekers: You need to put yourself in a box to make it easier for people to help you. If you keep it too broad, you won't build momentum. Narrowing in actually gives you more opportunities than staying open to everything. Climate is a big pond comprised of many sectors, so you want to be as specific as possible. If it makes sense, figure out how you differentiate and "fish where less people are fishing" to stand out (This could be your role + target sector. For example: "My focus is on becoming the go-to communications specialist for a renewable energy company."). Then, show up like you're already working in the space. -- There are 2 more phases that build on this, but didn't fit into this post (Align & Contribute). Reach out if you want to talk about how to make an impact faster. I've done a lot of thinking about this between my work creating pathways for Fortune 1000 employees at The Carbonauts and for climate career pivoters at The Green Beta.

Why “Pursue Your Passion” is Bad Career Advice When I finished my PhD in molecular biology, people often told me: “Just follow your passion.” But here’s the truth: at that point in my life, my passion was science, and had I followed it blindly, I likely would have stayed in the lab, underfunded, frustrated, and boxed into a path that didn’t fully fit me. Instead, I pivoted. I leaned into what I was good at (analysis, problem-solving, building relationships), what I found I enjoyed (working with entrepreneurs, building companies, mentoring), and what could sustain the life I wanted (a career with both financial stability and societal impact). That path led me into venture capital, and later into building healthcare innovations for underserved communities. And here’s what I’ve learned: 1. Passion isn’t something you chase, it’s something that grows when you’re developing your skills, contributing to meaningful work, and building a life you’re proud of. 2. Passion follows competence, purpose, and consistency, not the other way around. So instead of asking “What am I passionate about?”, the better questions are: “What am I good at, what do I enjoy, and what will sustain the life I want?” That’s where the sweet spot lies. That’s how you build a career that lasts. #CareerAdvice #ProfessionalGrowth #Leadership #WorkplaceWisdom #FutureOfWork

I've shifted from chasing opportunities to aligning them with my values. This fundamental change has transformed not just how I work, but how I live. The distinction between 'work to live' and 'live to work' isn't just a catchphrase—it's a strategic choice about energy allocation and long-term sustainability. What this looks like practically: ✔️Selective yes-saying: I evaluate opportunities through the lens of "Does this serve my values and desired lifestyle?" rather than "Will this advance my career?" ✔️Boundary setting: Clear start and stop times, protected family time, and saying no to projects that drain rather than energize ✔️Energy management over time management: Focusing on when I do my best work rather than just filling calendar blocks How I support my young adult children and the leaders I coach: "What lifestyle do you want to live?" This question often stops them in their tracks. We're so conditioned to plan careers that we forget to design lives. I encourage them to: 🔵 Define their non-negotiables (family time, health, hobbies, travel) 🔵 Consider their energy patterns and work preferences. 🔵 Think about what success looks like beyond titles and salary. 🔵 Build skills that serve multiple life goals, not just career advancement. When your work aligns with your values and supports your desired lifestyle, you stop feeling like you're constantly pushing uphill. Instead, you create sustainable momentum. The best leaders I know aren't the ones who sacrificed everything for their careers—they're the ones who integrated their values into how they lead. What does values-aligned leadership look like in your experience? #Leadership #WorkLifeIntegration #Values #CareerDevelopment #Coaching

Professional growth without personal development creates an imbalance that eventually shows up in how you lead. I once worked with a high-potential executive who had every certification you could imagine. His resume was impeccable, his technical knowledge unquestionable. Yet, he struggled to truly connect with his team. The issue was not competence, but depth. His growth had been centered on knowledge, not on self. This is a common trap for senior leaders. The higher you rise, the more you realize that technical mastery alone is no longer enough. What sustains influence and impact is the integration of professional capability with personal growth. Sustainable leadership rests on four pillars: • Technical mastery that builds credibility • Human skills that foster trust and collaboration • Self-awareness that anchors decision-making • Continuous feedback that sharpens perspective. When leaders strengthen themselves in all four, they shift from being managers of tasks to being catalysts of transformation. They do not just achieve more. They inspire more. The most effective leaders understand this truth: professional growth and personal development are not separate paths. They are two sides of the same journey. When you commit to integrating them, you expand your impact, elevate those around you, and build a legacy that endures.

According to the World Economic Forum’𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, around 𝟑𝟗 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 are expected to change by 2030. Among the 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. This shows that the 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫���𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. For professionals today, it is no longer enough to be technically competent in your domain. What sets 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 is how well they 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 into everything they do. I have noticed that individuals who begin saying things like “I optimise for resource efficiency” or “I design with circular value in mind” get asked different questions and enter different conversations. One memory that stands out is a marketing lead I advised. They reframed a campaign as “reducing material waste in the value chain” instead of simply “brand awareness.” The outcome changed: client meetings became 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥. 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫. Here are seven 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 that will define 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 in the coming decade 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Recognising your role as part of wider ecological, social, and value chains 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Designing for reuse, repair, and renewal rather than single use 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 – Interpreting energy use, carbon footprint, and resource flow data 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – Guiding teams through sustainable transition 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 – Accepting that what you know today will evolve and proactively adapting your competence 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – Taking conscious responsibility for resource impact 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Innovating with both business growth and ecological and social impact in mind 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐭 If you want to remain relevant in the decade ahead, start weaving these green skills into your current role instead of waiting for a “green job” label. The market will reward those who think sustainably from day one, not just those who switch roles. Which green skill will you develop in the next six months, and how will it shape your professional story? LinkedIn #LinkedInGreenSkills #COP30 #FutureOfWork #CareerGrowth #Sustainability #GreenSkills