Sustainability Defined

Latest Episodes:

Ep 74: Transparency with Dan Saccardi (Ceres) & Kathy Mulvey (Union of Concerned Scientists) Jun 09, 2023

Show notes

We are back this month with an episode on transparency. Historically, businesses have kept a lot of information guarded, but when it comes to sustainability, more companies are using transparency to make decisions, gain trust, and engage with their consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders.

After an introduction going over the basics of all things sustainability and transparency with a focus on corporate transparency, we have TWO expert guests:

Kathy Mulvey, Accountability Campaign Director, Climate & Energy Program, at the Union of Concerned Scientists
Dan Saccardi, Program Director, Company Network at Ceres

We hope this episode will "clear up" any questions you have about why transparency is an important part of sustainability at the corporate level!

Atypical Ep 5: STAFFER Podcast Episode with Mike Boots (Breakthrough Energy and Gates Ventures) May 05, 2023

Show notes

We're taking this month off, but we still have new content for you in the form of an episode of one of our favorite podcasts–STAFFER. STAFFER is a weekly podcast with former staffers sharing their stories of working on the Hill hosted by Jim Papa of Global Strategy Group. This episode features an interview with an accomplished sustainability professional, Mike Boots, Executive Vice President at Breakthrough Energy and Director of the Gates Ventures DC Office. By listening, you'll learn a lot about Mike's career journey and lessons learned along the way including from staffing Ted Danson (yes, of Cheers fame) and Bill Gates.

Listeners of our show know our traditional last question of asking for a party fact. Well, Jim has his own. One is called "in the vault." He asks his interviewees for a time that you made a mistake, how you recovered, and what you learned? The other is if he could build a hall of fame to staffers on the national mall, who would you nominate to the staffer hall of fame and why? Check out the episode to hear Mike's answers.

You can find STAFFER wherever you get your podcasts and at staffershow.com.

We'll see you soon with new Sustainability Defined content!

Bonus Episode: Georgetown University's Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management (MS-ESM) Program Apr 21, 2023

Show notes

This new bonus episode introduces our Definers to the Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management Program, or MS-ESM program at Georgetown University. The MS-ESM program is a full-time, 11-month interdisciplinary program held on-campus in Washington, D.C. Over the 11 month time span, students complete courses that blend science with business principles that are critical to meeting the world's sustainability goals.

In this episode we chat with a professor and a student in the program:

Vishal Agrawal, the Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business and a Professor of Operations Management at the McDonough School of Business and
David Yellen, a current Georgetown MS-ESM Student and Strategic Advisor at the Clean Air Task Force.

This bonus episode is perfect for Definers looking to enhance their knowledge about sustainability while continuing their education. If you are interested in being a part of the Fall 2023 cohort, applications are currently being accepted through May 15th. Visit esm.georgetown.edu for more information.

This episode is sponsored by the McDonough School of Business, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Earth Commons at Georgetown University.

Ep 73: Water Conservation with Ashley Fill (Procter & Gamble) Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

This episode is on water conservation and #sponsored by Procter & Gamble (P&G). Water is Earth's most abundant natural resource, as more than 71% of the Earth's surface is water. However, freshwater that can be used by humans is only a small percentage of this available water. Because of this we have to preserve, control, and manage our water resources through conservation. We hope our Definers are thirsty to learn about how we as humans use and can conserve water. The episode includes a focus on how P&G's Home Care team is working toward a water positive future across its manufacturing facilities, its product offerings that enable people to save water, and its work protecting biodiversity and restoring water in water-stressed areas. In this episode, we have a fantastic conversation with Ashley Fill, Director of Sustainability for North America Home Care at P&G (and long-time Definer!) about the steps P&G has taken to advance water conservation as part of the company's larger sustainability strategy. Join us for a deep dive into all things water conservation!

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Sustainability Defined is the podcast that defines sustainability, one concept (and bad joke) at a time. Hosted by Jay Siegel and Scott Breen. Each episode focuses on a single topic that helps push sustainability forward. We explain each topic with the help of an experienced pro, place it within our organizational tree, and help our listeners define what exactly sustainability is, episode by episode. We have divided our organizational tree into the following seven sectors:

Energy

Cities

Natural

Environment

Transportation

Business

Policy

Social

Each episode is categorized under one of our sectors and visually depicted within our organizational tree.

The more episodes we complete, the more the tree will visually define what exactly sustainability means.

www.sustainabilitydefined.com

Bonus Episode: Yale's Financing and Deploying Clean Energy Certificate Program Feb 17, 2023

Show notes

We know Definers are always hungry for ways to maximize their impact within sustainability, so we're excited to focus today's bonus episode on Yale's Financing and Deploying Clean Energy Program. Yale's Financing and Deploying Clean Energy (FDCE) online certificate program trains and connects rising leaders to catalyze an equitable transition to a clean economy. In the episode you will hear from Rob Klee, a Lecturer at Yale and the Managing Director of the Clean Energy Program at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, as well as Dr. Luis Aguirre-Torres, a Senior Adviser at Rewiring America and an alum of the FDCE certificate program. If you're inspired by the episode and want to expand your skills in this area you can apply to the FDCE upcoming cohort by March 12, 2023 by visiting cbey.yale.edu/certificate.

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Sustainability Defined is the podcast that defines sustainability, one concept (and bad joke) at a time. Hosted by Jay Siegel and Scott Breen.

Each episode focuses on a single topic that helps push sustainability forward. We explain each topic with the help of an experienced pro, place it within our organizational tree, and help our listeners define what exactly sustainability is, episode by episode.

We have divided our organizational tree into the following seven sectors:

Energy

Cities

Natural Environment

Transportation

Business

Policy

Social

Each episode is categorized under one of our sectors and visually depicted within our organizational tree. The more episodes we complete, the more the tree will visually define what exactly sustainability means.

www.sustainabilitydefined.com

Ep 72: Biodiversity with Dr. Paula Ehrlich (E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation) Feb 03, 2023

Show notes

Biodiversity underpins many things we rely on (think food, water, and oxygen). In fact, half of the world's GDP is dependent on natural resources. This means that about $44 trillion of economic value across the globe relies on nature and its interconnectedness. So... something worth paying attention to! Join us as we dissect this topic with the help of Dr. Paula Ehrlich, President and CEO of the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Enjoy!

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We have divided our organizational tree into the following seven sectors:

Energy

Cities

Natural Environment

Transportation

Business

Policy

Social

www.sustainabilitydefined.com

Ep 71: Water & Agriculture with Ashwin Madgavkar (Ceres Imaging) Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

From the carrots you're munching on to the chocolate in your grande extra-whip double-mocha latte (no judgment), agricultural water use underpins most everything we eat on a daily basis. In fact, agriculture on average accounts for 70% of all freshwater withdrawals globally - enough to cover the entire United States in 2 feet of water each year. Join us as we unpack this critical issue with the help of Ashwin Madgavkar, founder of Ceres Imaging, an innovative spectral imaging company and 2020 Zayed Sustainability Prize recipient working to optimize agricultural water use around the world.

Learn more about the Zayed Sustainability Prize here.

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Sustainability Defined is the podcast that defines sustainability, one concept (and bad joke) at a time. Hosted by Jay Siegel and Scott Breen.

We have divided our organizational tree into the following seven sectors:

Energy

Cities

Natural Environment

Transportation

Business

Policy

Social

sustainabilitydefined.com

Bonus Episode: Conversation with David Sandalow (Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University; Zayed Sustainability Prize Selection Committee Member - Energy Category) Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

We're excited to partner with the Zayed Sustainability Prize to bring you a special pair of episodes focusing on this transformative global award that recognizes organizations and high schools driving impactful sustainability solutions across five distinct categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water and Global High Schools.

Our first episode in this partnership spotlights David Sandalow, one of the Prize's selection committee members within the energy category. David is the Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy and co-Director of the Energy and Environment Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He's also a former Senior Official at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Energy. Join us as we learn more about David's areas of expertise and why he views the Prize as so impactful!

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Sustainability Defined is the podcast that defines sustainability, one concept (and bad joke) at a time. Hosted by Jay Siegel and Scott Breen.

We have divided our organizational tree into the following seven sectors:

Energy

Cities

Natural Environment

Transportation

Business

Policy

Social

Ep 70: 2022 Holiday Hodge-Podge Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

Tis the season for our annual Holiday Hodge-Podge episode! Join Scott and Jay as they share their favorite 2022 Sustainability Defined moments, interesting sustainability articles, work and personal updates, and sustainable gift ideas - PLUS our Instagram holiday gift giveaway and an opportunity for your donation to a certain charity to be matched by Jay and Scott.

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Energy

Cities

Natural Environment

Transportation

Business

Policy

Social

www.sustainabilitydefined.com

Ep 69: Air Pollution with Molly Rauch & Almeta Cooper (Moms Clean Air Force) Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

We hope this episode is a breath of fresh air on a critical topic. In 2019, 99% of the world's population lived in places where the World Health Organization air quality guideline levels were not met. Air pollution is widespread and can have tremendous negative impacts on public health and the environment.

Listen in as we talk with TWO incredible guests from Moms Clean Air Force: Molly Rauch (Public Health Policy Director) and Almeta Cooper (National Manager, Health Equity). We deep dive with each guest into their experience in public health policy and what specific policy solutions and individual actions can help address air pollution. Moms Clean Air Force was founded in 2011 with a mission to protect children from air pollution and climate change. They envision a safe, stable, and equitable future where all children breathe clean air. We loved talking with Molly and Almeta and learning more about their unique involvement with this influential organization and beyond. We think after this episode you'll want to buy an air quality monitor and join the fight for everyone to have clean air.

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Sustainability Defined is the podcast that seeks to define sustainability, one concept (and bad joke) at a time. Hosted by Jay Siegel and Scott Breen. Each episode focuses on a single topic that helps push sustainability forward. We explain each topic with the help of an experienced pro, place it within our organizational tree, and help our listeners define what exactly sustainability is, episode by episode.

We have divided our organizational tree into the following seven sectors:

Energy

Cities

Natural

Environment

Transportation

Business

Policy

Social

Please go to www.sustainabilitydefined.com for more information. Our website has pages for each episode where there is a player to stream the episode, as well as hyperlinked intro notes.

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