Leadership for Sustainability

RESOURCES, EVENTS & EXPERTISE

Helping sustainability leaders make greater progress

by activating collaboration and collective innovation

The world has changed in the last few years

Sustainability leaders’ main task used to be persuading colleagues, stakeholders and others that sustainability was relevant and important.

Today most people are aware of the climate, nature and social crises, and want to see positive change. The question is no longer “why should we do sustainability?” but “how can we do sustainability?“

Answering that question is hard enough but in the midst of economic, social and environmental turmoil, it’s even more challenging.

This shift from why to how has fundamentally changed the nature of sustainability leadership. If you want to make greater progress, your task now, whether you’re a sustainability director or manager, or a sustainability pioneer in your sector, is to:

tap into people’s concerns and desire for positive change;
bring them together to explore priorities and opportunities; and
work with them to develop and implement strategies and solutions that deliver multiple benefits.

We’re here to help you bring people together in your organisation or sector to make greater progress on sustainability – despite the turmoil.

Expert support

To help you activate collaboration and collective innovation to tackle the climate, nature and social crises.

One to One Advice & Mentoring

Clarify your problem or challenge, explore options and decide which to take forward.

Additionally, with ongoing mentoring we’ll be your confidential sounding board and critical friend as you tackle a particular project or challenge over two to three months.

Event & Workshop Facilitation

Bespoke events that help you meet your objectives, and are engaging, inspiring and productive for everyone involved.

We can simply facilitate high quality conversations or we can incorporate elements of professional development.

Group Mentoring & Programmes

Ongoing support to help your group make even greater progress as they put their plans into action.

This can be ‘pure’ group mentoring, leading a group through the action learning cycle, or it can also include professional development.

We’ve developed our expertise in sustainability leadership working with organisations including:

At last I seem to be getting some real traction and influence in this and the programme has helped me identify the parts of our organisational system where I could have the most effective influence.

Chris Smith

Subject Lead – Arts
University of Plymouth

Knowing more about how to make change has given me a feeling of empowerment. I’ve been really pleased to see how the approach has worked and is valued.

Sarah Lee

Senior Associate Architect
Stride Treglown

The systems approach was a bit of a lightbulb moment in recognising that we need both direct action on those things we could easily influence as well as pushing for more strategic change.

Oli Mackie

Strategic Service Manager
NSPCC

It was such a positive experience. It gave me this feeling of life and empowerment, and direction. It helped me clarify my strengths and how I can bring sustainability into biomedical research through the European research networks I’m involved with.

Prof Marieke
van Ham

Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation and University of Amsterdam

It helped me feel less overwhelmed by the change that I and others need to make. The safe space allowed me to develop my thinking, which has had a hugely positive impact on how I incorporate sustainability in all my work.

Benjamin
Carey

Sustainable tourism consultant and crisis recovery expert

A transformational experience I will always treasure that helped me develop a stronger sense of what matters most and where I should allocate my time and energy.

Jane
Morrison

Environment Professional | Trustee, Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland

Meet the Realise Earth team

Hi, I’m Osbert Lancaster

co-founder & director

I’ve been helping people to be more effective sustainability leaders for over twenty years. I have consulted to numerous organisation, large and small, supporting them to design and deliver sustainability strategies and climate action plans. I’ve taught sustainability at masters level and developed the University of Edinburgh’s first online MSc for professionals tackling the global challenges of environment, development and health.

Morag Watson, co-founder of the Sustainability Leadership Network

Hello, I’m Morag Watson

co-founder & director

I’ve been a climate change, sustainability and leadership policy expert for nearly twenty years, and am a former UNESCO expert adviser. I’m Director of Policy for the trade body Scottish Renewables, advising the Scottish and UK governments on transitioning to a net zero, renewables powered energy system. The first sustainability leadership programme Osbert and I created was recognised as an Outstanding Flagship Project by UNESCO for its contribution to UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

Richard Profit, co-founder of the Sustainability Leadership Network

And I’m Richard Profit

co-founder & director

I’m the CEO of the Cool Farm Alliance and former Global Operations Sustainability Senior Manager, PepsiCo, where I led the company’s climate strategy. I work with organisations around the globe, supporting their sustainability journeys as they decarbonise their supply chains.

Practical advice and support