Climate Era Storytelling

CLIMATE-ERA STORYTELLING

It's time to create things that give back more than they take away. Climate Era Storytelling aspires to put all life at the center of every decision and action. It works to find solutions and restore the health of individuals, communities, and the planet—all in the interest of more sustainable impact and growth.

What’s good for people and the planet is increasingly good for business. Those who invest and innovate now will be in the best position to grow and lead in this new era.

I am daily in search of stories about entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders of organizations who are ready to embrace a new era of business and climate-focused work. These people understand that the Hero's Journey/the Heroine's Journey path to “better for planet” often leads through “better for customers and stakeholders.” For example the storytellers team at H&M finding new ways to appeal to a climate-conscious consumer.

The Whole Package Story of H&M

H&M chief executive Helena Helmersson set ambitious sustainability goals when she stepped into her role. She wanted to reduce the fashion giant’s impact on the environment and enable meaningful growth. But change is tough for any company, let alone one with eight brands operating across 74 markets. H&M Group created new plastic-free packaging, rallying around a more sustainable packaging solution that’s easily customizable. By applying a storytelling-led approach that went far beyond hiring a sustainability consultant, the H&M Group managed to reduce its use of plastic. But it didn’t stop there. A small team took what it learned and grew into an established strategic capability that pioneers new ways of working in the organization, tackling complex challenges in circularity, inclusion, supply chain, and customer experience. The Sustainability Storytelling isn’t a passing trend for H&M. It’s moving fashion forward.

And I believe this storytelling work can’t wait, as the realities and demands of a world shaped by climate change feel more urgent every day. Storytelling offers the possibility of imagining circular, regenerative or entirely new systems. The new story about the bag that holds your groceries, the hero's truck that powers your house in an emergency, the storytelling strategy that expedites a multimillion-dollar conservation effort—all were created by businesses that are doing well by storytelling for good.