Climate Coaching Supporting Opportunities and Growth

Why We Want Climate Coaching

We regularly see information about climate change and its impact, such as the one-in-100-year storm in Brisbane earlier this year, which was only 11 years after the last one of similar magnitude. Climate impacts many factors of life and business, including price increases for some essentials, complexity in town planning and building design and much more.

There is a certain expectation that government and business will make all the changes, which is partially true. We must also remember that government and industry, just like community and homes, consists of people. Us. We are all part of this massive system.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we and others felt a desire and had agency to enact positive change and become more contented along the way? This is where Climate Coaches come in, providing climate and sustainability awareness to coaching, which the ICF (International Coaching Federation) defines as “as partnering in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires a person/team to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.”

You may ask why should I? How would I (or my organisation) benefit? Here are a few commonly identified opportunities:

• Employee satisfaction & engagement increases. Common purpose towards something can be a wonderful social connector. When done right, it also helps enable so much more with less need for management oversight. It helps build a level of pride and belonging, which in improves effectiveness and reduces staff churn
• Cost savings. There are many changes that can be made to reduce costs. Some may even incur no up-front investment with good employee engagement
• Customer experience strengthens connection to the brand and subsequently sales. Companies like Patagonia demonstrate the power of sustainability as part of their brand. See this article about Sustainable brands
• Preferred partner/supplier. As more companies are assessing their carbon footprint, there are deeper investigations into Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, which includes suppliers in the whole supply chain. Customers may also put proactive organisations further up the list as a preferred partner/supplier
• Risk Reduction. There are many risks around climate impact, which include broad corporate risks. This article from the ANZ Bank provides some insight into this minefield for them

Of course, not all of those apply to all organisations; consider what might be good reasons for you and your organisation.

So how do climate coaches help??

There are multiple approaches that coaches may take. In this article I refer to a culture shift focus. Some coaches may be more Science Based Targets (SBTi) focused.

Climate coaches enable us to develop and grow our ability to adapt and act upon our beliefs, helping us instil a growth mindset and develop behaviour changes.

Imagine a situation where many people are contributing in various ways as part of their daily business, not necessarily as their official role.

For example: Perhaps a graphics designer who sees colleagues taking the lift 1 floor when they could walk up the stairs… they might reframe the potential energy saving as a fitness & health push, resulting in healthier employees and a new positive social structure too!

Wins as small as using a re-usable coffee cup may inspire further innovation for greater wins too.

For example: Someone working in a café may wish to reduce the carbon footprint. Initially they may be bewildered, unable to consider how they could do that without incurring large costs. Through climate coaching, they become able to focus on things that would be worth exploring and subsequently hears of start-ups that are using coffee grinds in concrete. This idea will save the café money (less waste to dispose of), reduces CO2 from the coffee in landfill while also reducing the emissions when making concrete (example paper).

Over time, each such case adds up, adding value and strengthening the cultural resolve to act. This approach reduces the overall costs, complications and managerial overheads, while achieving far more. And we must not underestimate the win-wins in positive cultural change, such as having fun and building a sense of empowerment and achievement.

What do Climate Coaches do then?

We have all been in situations where we are stuck in some way. Perhaps unable to determine what to do or how to progress, and often not fully aware of why! Coaches can assist us by providing a safe space and helping us gain deeper clarity of ourselves, our colleagues and our situation. We become able to overcome natural resistance to change, become unstuck and enable self-improvement along our own path. We grow, adapt our behaviours and habits, enabling us to not only do things better, but also improve our confidence and ability in influencing others.

Climate Coaches complement coaching skills with knowledge and awareness of the climate and sustainability domain. This is a lot more challenging than may be expected, particularly in corporate environments.

For example: An organisation might state that positive climate action is intended, and leaders are encouraged to drive moves towards more sustainable practices. Employees may personally buy-in to saving the planet, but despite the rhetoric, feel powerless and lack agency to make change! Frequently heard reasons for feeling this include competing priorities, a lack of time, don't know what would be worthwhile and perhaps a feeling of overwhelm by the enormity of the challenge!

To overcome such challenges, a Climate Coach is likely to work at multiple levels.

Working at senior levels, Climate Coaches explore the objectives and pains, and tailor the approach for their needs. Coaches will also assist leaders in empowering employees, so that they feel they have agency and a level of autonomy.

At team level, employees might be encouraged to identify things they personally relate to. Through enquiry led by the coach, opportunities to achieve the underlying wishes can be achieved with fun and culture building as side products, empowered by a renewed sense of autonomy!

The Future

I invite you to pause and imagine what you would like to achieve? What would you like to see your team(s) and/or organisation achieve? What challenges do you see?

How many of those desired outcomes do you think could be plausible? Perhaps some challenges are too big to complete, yet effective progress would still be worthwhile. How would you feel when the unachievable is achieved?

What story would you like to tell friends and family in a year or 2?

And what will help you make it happen?

Please get in touch if you are curious and interested in learning more.