In this conversation, Mike Smith interviews Russ Stoddard, the founder of Oliver Russell and Unit of Impact, about the importance of living your values in business and the role of green business certification programs like B Corp. They discuss the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the need for businesses to prioritize environmental and social impact. Russ shares his personal journey in climate action and the challenges of making a meaningful impact. He emphasizes the importance of stakeholder activism and rejecting the status quo of shareholder primacy. Russ also mentions his book, 'Rise Up: How to Build a Socially Conscious Business,' which provides a template for building a business with social and environmental impact.

To kick off this episode, your host, Mike Smith, explores the intersection of forest, fire, and climate, thinking about how natural disasters shape our opinions on climate. He discusses his personal experience with wildfires and the role of climate change in exacerbating fire risks. He also touches on the history of wildfire suppression and the need for forest management practices.

Next, he welcomes his guest, Dylan Jones of Highland Outdoors, and they discuss the importance of storytelling in raising awareness about the environment and the unique beauty of West Virginia. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for collective action and shared values to address the challenges of climate change. They cover various themes related to climate change and its impact on West Virginia, including the emotional connection to forests, the increased threats of flooding and drought, the need for consensus and engagement across political spectrums, the role of small businesses in addressing climate change, the resurgence of print media, and the importance of central Appalachia in the fight against climate change.

In this episode of The Climate Dad, Mike Smith – CEO of Aclymate – dives into various issues, ranging from what scope emissions are to the interconnectedness of development and carbon emissions. Mike will also give a breakdown of the role of renewable energy in decarbonizing our economy. He will cover issues like the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever bill to set limits on emissions from U.S. power plants, and how despite being rejected by Congress, the plan has achieved many of its goals.

Mike is then joined by Jennifer Blossom Beddingfield, the Director of Human Resources and Sustainability at Xavier Creative House. They discuss the importance of sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry and the journey of Xavier Creative House toward becoming a B Corp. Mike and Jennifer emphasize the idea of shared responsibility in the context of climate change, and the need for collective efforts to drive meaningful action. Jennifer also highlights the role of Human Resources in driving sustainability and the importance of education to empower individuals to make climate-informed decisions.

In this episode, Mike Smith, founder and CEO of Aclymate, and Christian Moore, Vice President of Risk Consulting and the climate lead for Concentric, contemplate the intersection of environmental protection, climate change, and security. Mike begins the episode by explaining the basics of climate change, including how carbon dioxide traps heat on Earth, the concept of relative concentration pathways (RCPs), and how climate change poses a risk to national security. In the conversation, Mike and Christian discuss their shared military backgrounds and how they became interested in climate change.

Both Mike and Christian emphasize the importance of technology and carbon offsets in combating the climate crisis. Christian shares how innovation within acoustic sensors has allowed park rangers to better monitor protected areas, as they can better differentiate between various animal and human sounds.

They also discuss the growing movement for firms to transition to more sustainable practices and how this has been integral for Concentric in attracting and retaining talent. Christian explains how he has taken steps to improve environmental commitments at Concentric.

Mike and Christian stress the urgency and significance of tackling climate change and the potential for technology to play a crucial role.

In this environmental podcast episode, host Mike Smith divulges his origin story and how he got into climate, discusses the Paris Climate Accords, Greenland ice sheet, sea level rise and what you can do about it, climate and banking, as well as an insightful interview with a sustainability professional from a regional bank.

In this conversation, Mike Smith, the founder and CEO of Aclymate, interviews Laura Rossi, the Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability at Amerant Bank. They discuss the importance of addressing climate change and the role of banks in promoting sustainability.

They also talk about the need for more guidance and frameworks for companies to follow in their sustainability efforts. Amerant Bank's sustainability program is driven by the desire to do the right thing and make a positive impact. They believe that attracting and retaining talent is crucial, and younger generations are increasingly interested in working for companies that prioritize sustainability. The bank has seen success in talent attraction through their internship program and focus on diversity, inclusion, climate resilience, and social and environmental lending.

While there has been internal resistance, the program has gained momentum with the support of the C-suite and a clear mandate from the CEO. Investors have varied responses, with larger institutional investors taking sustainability seriously. The lack of regulation makes it challenging for investors to evaluate companies, but they appreciate transparency and a serious commitment to sustainability.

Laura Rossi, the head of sustainability at Amerant, is driven by her personal ethics and the desire to make a meaningful contribution. She believes that climate action is no longer a choice and is excited to be part of the solution. However, she also acknowledges the worry that it may already be too late to turn things around.

Learn what "The Climate Dad" is all about!