Aligned Sustainability

The global #logistics industry faces some of the biggest #ESG driven challenges and impacts due to climate change and other societal factors. Socialsuite spent the last 6 months conducting intensive research and analysis across hundreds of the largest #logistics companies to publish our inaugural Materiality Industry Benchmarking white paper. We identified a set of major trends and takeaways that we hope can help logistics companies with their #sustainability programs. Big thanks to the authors of the study Dr Tim Siegenbeek van Heukelom and Abigail Ford! ?? Download the free study below ?? #Logistics #Transportation #shipping #airports #infrastructure #airlines #freight #railroad #fleets #sustainability #ESG #materiality #doublemateriality #SupplyChain Kai Martin, ESG-P, CC-P, PMP Craig Riley Camille Vanderghote Casey Christ Daryl Knight Isuru Seneviratne Hang Kei Simon Wong Phillip Clawson Chris Poinsatte Christian Klein William Nugent Anne-Sophie Levy Greg Colabello Samuel Garrett William Scheiderer Jeffrey Crawford Ann Tracy Jacob Mandli Kevin Quandt Erin Huls Alissa Matthies Tamasi Aprile Pritchet Andrew Mendelson Tanisha Lewis Courtnie Gore, Esq. Bryan Tucker

I've been reflecting a lot lately on the concept of climate havens. ?? After we witnessed the unprecedented devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, maybe our collective experience of climate is being reset. While the news cycle has already moved on, the regions affected by these twin hurricanes are still grappling with the aftermath. ??? I think the last few years have proven there’s no longer any such thing as a “climate haven". I have good friends in Ashville NC. I live in Portland OR. Both places have been called climate havens. But that myth was shattered for us when a heat dome settled over Portland, an event that was evaluated to be 150% more likely as a result of climate change and with temperatures "so extreme that they lie far outside the range of historically observed temperatures"[1] - pushing us into record-breaking heat similar to Death Valley. It lead to significant loss of marine life in our coastal environment and lead to over 60 heat-related deaths in my country alone, and over 650 across the Pacific Northwest[2].??? Asheville, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, experienced devastation as Hurricane Helene—one of the largest hurricanes to make U.S. landfall—brought its 400-mile-wide force inland from Florida. That size meant it carried significant rain volumes and winds hundreds of miles inland, leading a trail of devastation along its wake. "It feels like I was deployed, like, overnight and woke up in...a combat zone,” Iraq War veteran Chris Canada said[3]. Hurricane Helene formed in the Gulf of Mexico above record-hot sea surface temperatures (SSTs) made 200-500x more likely as a result of climate change and with heavy rainfall and wind speeds all made more intense as a result of climate change[4].?And it’s not just hurricanes—back in 2016, wildfires ravaged the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge areas[5]. I visited this area many times as a child, and even did my first solo backpacking trip in the nearby Smoky Mountains. While the science of attributing specific hurricane events to climate change is complex, every element of these storms is being intensified by it. These disasters are no longer rare—they’re becoming routine.?And they don’t just destroy homes and infrastructure—they destroy communities, but perhaps more viscerally, they destroy 'ways of life'.?? So, what can we do? Events like these should serve as powerful teachable moments. We need to break out of our bubbles and make climate change a kitchen-table conversation. Of course, we should all do more to reduce our own consumption patterns,?but equally important, we need to talk about climate change openly with everyone, because this issue transcends political and geographic boundaries. And in this election year, we need to vote as if a 'stable' climate depends on it—because it does.??? And I can't even believe we have to say this, but no these hurricanes were not manufactured by the government, and neither is this post.? ?References below in comment.

Today's the day!?? One year ago, I quietly launched Aligned Sustainability, my LLC, as a contractual structure to take on exciting client work. At the time, I was also exploring full-time roles, both in-house and in the professional services industry. ? The journey hasn’t been linear. There were months of conversations and countless back-and-forth moments deciding my next career steps. But along the way, I’ve had the privilege of working on some incredible projects, including supporting the EPA on climate grants (more on that in another post) and standing up new ESG strategies for organizations. ? Today, I’m thrilled to officially launch my website, Aligned Sustainability!??I’m also excited to introduce my business motto: fractional and executive advisory services for organizations driving the sustainable, low carbon economy! While I continue to provide advisory services and program-level guidance on climate, ESG, and sustainability, I'm really excited about the new approaches I am exploring with organizations—especially through flexible contracting models like fractional work. These models offer a cost-effective, high-impact way to deliver valuable services to my clients. ? Stay tuned for updates as I build out the site and share more about my services and my unique approach to delivering sustainability - from vision to action! ?? https://lnkd.in/gyfuKq9V