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99. Marilyn Waite on Her Life in the Global Climate Justice Fight
Manage episode 461266598 series 2875612
Marilyn Waite leads the Climate Finance Fund. She has worked across four continents in renewable and nuclear energy, climate modeling, and investment. Author of Sustainability at Work: Careers That Make a Difference, Marilyn’s writing has been featured in the Financial Times, the Boston Globe, and Trellis (formerly GreenBiz), where she served as editor at large.
Marilyn holds a Master’s Degree with distinction in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, magna cum laude, from Princeton University. She serves on multiple boards and investment committees, including Climate First Bank.
In this episode, we discuss:
● The role of established companies and start-ups in battling climate change
● What being intentional about “where your money sleeps” means
● What a JEDI lens—justice, equity, diversity, inclusion—means when investing in climate solutions
Key Takeaways:
● Maslow’s Hierarchy and Climate Impact: Imagine mapping global spending against Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Right now, we can afford to focus higher up on the pyramid—on esteem and self-actualization—but climate change could drastically shift that. Depending on how climate scenarios unfold, global spending may be forced back to the basics: food, water, shelter, and safety. This raises an essential question: how do we prepare to protect those foundational needs while enabling humanity to thrive at every level of the hierarchy and ensure we do so equitably?
● Interconnected Ecosystems for Climate Solutions: Human survival is deeply intertwined with the natural ecosystems around us. We can’t thrive in isolation from the world we depend on. Solving climate change requires more than a single silver-bullet solution; it demands an ecosystem of tools and approaches—just like the ecosystems we’re working to protect. There’s a beautiful symmetry in this: to preserve the balance of nature, we must harness the collective power of diverse, interconnected solutions.
● The Role of Startups in Transforming Big Business: While large, established companies can spark change, the reality is that creating rapid, sweeping transformations within massive global organizations is incredibly challenging. This is where startups step in, bringing fresh ideas, agile solutions, and new ways of operating. Large companies can play a critical role by supporting these startups—scaling their innovations or integrating new processes. Together, they create a powerful dynamic where nimble startups help established giants move the needle on sustainability and vice versa.
References:
● Connect with Marilyn on LinkedIn
● Sustainability at Work: Careers That Make a Difference (Second Edition) by Marilyn Waite
● Global Alliance for Banking on Values
● Sphere
● W Fund
● Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials
Connect & Share:
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading them!
If this episode resonated with you, I ask you to send it to a friend. Help bring even more visibility to these leaders that are using business as a force for good!
Subscribe to the Purpose and Profit newsletter to make sure you don’t miss future episodes.
This podcast is for you, the listener. I’d love to hear what resonated with you, or if you have a suggestion on who would be a great guest for this show. Please send me a note at info@KathyVarol.com.
100 episoder
Manage episode 461266598 series 2875612
Marilyn Waite leads the Climate Finance Fund. She has worked across four continents in renewable and nuclear energy, climate modeling, and investment. Author of Sustainability at Work: Careers That Make a Difference, Marilyn’s writing has been featured in the Financial Times, the Boston Globe, and Trellis (formerly GreenBiz), where she served as editor at large.
Marilyn holds a Master’s Degree with distinction in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, magna cum laude, from Princeton University. She serves on multiple boards and investment committees, including Climate First Bank.
In this episode, we discuss:
● The role of established companies and start-ups in battling climate change
● What being intentional about “where your money sleeps” means
● What a JEDI lens—justice, equity, diversity, inclusion—means when investing in climate solutions
Key Takeaways:
● Maslow’s Hierarchy and Climate Impact: Imagine mapping global spending against Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Right now, we can afford to focus higher up on the pyramid—on esteem and self-actualization—but climate change could drastically shift that. Depending on how climate scenarios unfold, global spending may be forced back to the basics: food, water, shelter, and safety. This raises an essential question: how do we prepare to protect those foundational needs while enabling humanity to thrive at every level of the hierarchy and ensure we do so equitably?
● Interconnected Ecosystems for Climate Solutions: Human survival is deeply intertwined with the natural ecosystems around us. We can’t thrive in isolation from the world we depend on. Solving climate change requires more than a single silver-bullet solution; it demands an ecosystem of tools and approaches—just like the ecosystems we’re working to protect. There’s a beautiful symmetry in this: to preserve the balance of nature, we must harness the collective power of diverse, interconnected solutions.
● The Role of Startups in Transforming Big Business: While large, established companies can spark change, the reality is that creating rapid, sweeping transformations within massive global organizations is incredibly challenging. This is where startups step in, bringing fresh ideas, agile solutions, and new ways of operating. Large companies can play a critical role by supporting these startups—scaling their innovations or integrating new processes. Together, they create a powerful dynamic where nimble startups help established giants move the needle on sustainability and vice versa.
References:
● Connect with Marilyn on LinkedIn
● Sustainability at Work: Careers That Make a Difference (Second Edition) by Marilyn Waite
● Global Alliance for Banking on Values
● Sphere
● W Fund
● Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials
Connect & Share:
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading them!
If this episode resonated with you, I ask you to send it to a friend. Help bring even more visibility to these leaders that are using business as a force for good!
Subscribe to the Purpose and Profit newsletter to make sure you don’t miss future episodes.
This podcast is for you, the listener. I’d love to hear what resonated with you, or if you have a suggestion on who would be a great guest for this show. Please send me a note at info@KathyVarol.com.
100 episoder
Alla avsnitt
×1 99. Marilyn Waite on Her Life in the Global Climate Justice Fight 47:18
1 98. Anastasia Volkova on Decarbonizing the Agriculture Value Chain 57:14
1 97. Chris Kanik on Changing the World One Cup at a Time 35:08
1 96. Dimitry Gershenson on Extending Credit to Climate Tech Startups 42:56
1 95. Eugene Kirpichov on a Systems Change Approach to the Green Economy 40:14
1 94. Zimri T. Hinshaw on Creating and Scaling Bio-Based Materials 46:30
1 93. Eric Rubenstein on Growing the Future of the Climate Tech Industry 57:16
1 92. Chad Park on Creating Financial Security for Individuals and Communities 52:17
1 91. REPLAY: Mark Kramer on How Creating Shared Value Can Transform Business and the World 50:16
1 90. Katherine Neebe on Sustainablility in the Energy Industry 58:07
1 89. Breene Murphy on a “Divest, Reinvest, Pressure the Rest” Climate Investing Strategy 27:53
1 88. Julia Marsh on Seaweed-Based Plastic Packaging 39:18
1 87. Dalila Wilson-Scott on the Holistic Approach to Diversity & Social Impact 1:01:17
1 86. Staff Sheehan on Greening the Aviation Fuel Industry 37:24
1 85. Alex Lauver on Innovating Solutions for a More Sustainable Outdoor Industry 57:46
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