Next up in our Professionals in Sustainability interview series - meet James Ghaffari, Director of Growth & Product at B Lab UK. He shares his recommendations to anyone looking to develop their sustainability skills.
1. What is one book that has helped you in your career that you recommend to others?
The 4 Hour Work Week! I have not managed to achieve it but there are a lot of common sense tips to help you work effectively which is especially useful in an industry where there is lots of noise and is constantly changing.
2. What is one concept that has most helped you in your career/role & why?
Doughnut economics is a simple and elegant illustration of the interplay of social and environmental imperatives. It is clear that these can often be in contention which is where the concept of a just transition needs to be an arbiter.
3. What is one podcast or newsletter that you subscribe to, and love?
Upstream - great interviews and well-researched commentaries on ideas that take us beyond the neoliberal capitalism that is the current economic orthodoxy.
5. What is one person or organisation that you follow that inspires you in your career/role & why?
Behavioural Insights Team - they take a behavioural economics approach to drive positive change. Attitudinal change is important but useless without nudging people to change the way they actually behave.
6. What skill(s) do you think is/are most important for your career/role & why?
Determination - you need a clear focus on the ends you are trying to achieve and not allow yourself to get too distracted by the means
Adaptability - the means to achieving your ends may need to change and you have to be ready to adapt your approach based on evidence and contextual shifts
Resilience - there will always be people thinking you are asking too much of businesses and others thinking that you are not going far enough
7. If you could make one change in the world that would help your sector what would it be?
For people to realise that radicalism is realism: what might sound radical in terms of changes needed to address the climate crises is actually steeped in the science. We need to make leaps not iterations.
Links to James’ recommendations:
4 Hour Work Week - https://fourhourworkweek.com/
Doughnut Economics - https://doughnuteconomics.org/about-doughnut-economics
Upstream Podcast - https://www.upstreampodcast.org/
Behavioural Insights Unit - https://www.bi.team/
Listen to this episode of the podcast "A little bit radical" to hear more from James on the B Corp Movement, the difference between shareholder and stakeholder-led value and his personal journey - Spotify
