5 minutes with Jim

Meet Jim Goddin , our Head of Circular Economy. It seems he’s been thinking about sustainability his whole life, not just in his 20 years he’s been a practicing consultant. Growing up in the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland surrounded by nature, it’s no wonder. Find out what else drives him to live and practice sustainably to this day.

Why did you choose a career in sustainability?

I was brought up with a strong affinity for nature, I was surrounded by it as a child and encouraged to spend time in it. My dad gave me my love of science and engineering and encouraged me to think around problems, so seeing the small hydro turbine in our garden, the wind turbine near my school, and the growing wave and tidal technologies emerging in Orkney really cemented my interest.

As my interest in materials grew, there was an obvious connection to sustainability both from the impacts of the materials we use and the opportunity to reduce these impacts by designing things to last or by designing them differently. This is what took me into the circular economy space through a chance meeting with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CEO, shortly after they started up.

What’s your favourite thing about your work?

I don’t like being stuck on one thing, I love to jump from sector to sector and between different technologies, materials and social and business dynamics. I’ve been lucky to work across really diverse industries, including aerospace, space, automotive, marine, electronics, automotive, construction, agriculture, medical devices, and electronics… and to have worked on data-intensive cutting-edge technologies alongside some of the world's largest manufacturers. My work exposes me to many facets of science, technology, engineering and sustainability.

As a father of three, it’s also important to see tangible impacts from my work and to know that my efforts are making a real difference to the world my kids will live in. I love that they’re proud of what I do and that their attitudes are being shaped by the conversations we have about how things are made and used.

What do you see as the biggest challenge in sustainability?

We already have the solutions we need to live sustainably, the biggest challenge is aspiring to live sustainably.

As a kid, I grew up fantasising about fast cars, amazing homes, technologies and gadgets – and I still do. I had a clear picture of what life should look like and the markers of success that were promised to me if I worked hard. The need to live sustainably has tainted all of that and it’s hard not to feel hard done by. What do we aspire to when our dream has died?

Living sustainably often feels like sacrificing rather than gaining. Our opportunity in sustainability is to become the role models we need—thriving by our values in a way others can aspire to. This means replacing what we give up with meaningful gains. For me, it’s exchanging consumption for time with friends and family—a shift many are beginning to embrace as they redefine what a good life looks like.

Is there a book or podcast you would like to recommend and why?

I always recommend True Wealth by Juliet Schor, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and the Minimalism documentary directed by Matt D’Avella. I keep coming back to these and reading or watching them again and again. For me, these really point the way towards how we need to be living and thriving in a sustainable future and how we need pioneers to show the way to live differently. Each one speaks to how we’ve been brought up to consume, often for the sake of it, and how we all need to look again at what we really value and what we need to really be happy in life – hint: it’s not more stuff!

What do you do when you’re not working?

I deliberately work a shorter week to spend more time with my kids. They grow up so quickly. I want to be with them and to be a part of their lives. To experience them growing up while I can. I love taking my kids to the theatre and to concerts, or on hikes and camping trips. These are the things that stuck with me as I grew up and I want to fill them with happy memories and experiences. I also lost my parents in the last couple of years and have been taking time to capture and document what they left behind for me. I’ve just completed a huge book of the recipes my mum left behind – my kids are already deciding which ones we’ll try out together. My dad also recorded many of his memories for me, I’ll be working on that book next.