Connie Prostko-Bell Of ALL4: Five Strategies Our Company Is Using To Tackle Climate Change & Become More Sustainable
An Interview With Martita Mestey
People don’t always do the thing that seems to make the most sense.
As a part of our series about how companies are becoming more sustainable, we had the pleasure of interviewing Connie Prostko-Bell, ESG And Sustainability Practice Director at ALL4.
Connie is committed to weaving sustainability performance into the corporate fabric to minimize risks and impacts, maximize resource productivity and build resilience. Connie is steadfast in her belief that sustainablity is good for business and that the next industrial revolution will be circular. Connie and her team advise global companies, challenging and changing old economy thinking and processes and delivering better ways of doing business.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was a bit of a weird kid and spent time worrying about existential threats. I worried about killer bees and baby seals (not in the same way of course). I was aware, even at a young age, of interdependences in the ecosystem, and the fragility of balance. I also worried about economic prosperity and recognized the stark differences in life in America versus the countries featured in the ads Sally Struthers did for the Christian Children’s Fund. Another reason kids should get off the electronics and go outside and play! As a result, I was always interested in finding ways to drive prosperity while living within the boundaries of a small planet.
What is the mission of your company? What problems are you aiming to solve?
The ALL4 ESG & Sustainability practice is driven to find solutions for clients who drive business performance by developing and executing a regenerative business model. We are happy to partner with organizations anywhere along the sustainability maturity curve, from disordered to transformational. We are always excited to tackle ambitious goals, like preparing a company for the carbon transition, but sometimes you must start small with developing a business case for energy efficiency.
Can you tell our readers about the initiatives that you or your company are taking to address climate change or sustainability? Can you give an example for each?
Regarding sustainability, the next industrial revolution needs to accelerate the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy. My goal is to position clients to be successful when that change happens. We partner with clients to examine risks and opportunities along their value chain related to externalities, waste streams, product innovation, supply chain and consumption and then, we work with them to develop strategies for circularity. To that end we have partnered with Game Change Engine, a coalition of universities and market actors in the Southeastern Commerce Corridor committed to advancing a carbon centric circular economy, to develop a Resource Recovery Marketplace to support circular transactions.
For climate change we focus on helping clients to understand and quantify their risks, opportunities, and impacts so that they can develop livable transition plans and ideally facilitate the global transition by implementing strategies that include abatement, mitigation, and adaptation. We focus on the business case because as pragmatists, we recognize that the most efficient path forward is making the numbers work.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
A well-executed circular business model accomplishes many critical business objectives. Circularity decouples growth from virgin extraction, provides supply chain security, and has meaningful environmental benefits, both upstream and downstream.
For example, manufacturers should start by looking to their primary and secondary waste streams for opportunities to reduce costs, recover value, ensure market access and compliance, increase supply chain certainty, inform product development and innovation, reduce dependance on natural resources, and develop revenue streams.
Consider lead-acid batteries, one of the most well-established circular business cases. It is estimated that 99% end-of-life lead-acid batteries are recovered and 97% of each battery is reclaimed. This includes plastic, sulfuric acid, and lead. This well established circularity gives manufacturers access to a reliable stream of raw material, reduces costs of manufacture, and reduces the impact profile of the finished good.
The youth led climate strikes of September 2019 showed an impressive degree of activism and initiative by young people on behalf of climate change. This was great, and there is still plenty that needs to be done. In your opinion what are a few things parents should do to inspire the next generation to become engaged in sustainability and the environmental movement? Please give a story or an example for each.
I believe it is our children who are more likely to inspire us to be more engaged in both of our personal and professional lives. When you think about goals related to carbon neutrality, the timeline is tethered to 2050. People who are making political and business decisions today will likely not endure the worst consequences of our failure to act. Hopefully, decision makers will look at the younger generations and feel compelled to take action to preserve their access to a livable climate, prevent further loss of biodiversity, and restore ecosystem balance.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- It will be harder than you think, but you’ll be glad you did it anyway.
- Worry less.
- Listen more.
- People don’t always do the thing that seems to make the most sense.
- It’s okay to pivot.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I was an individual contributor but was lucky to have access to executive leadership. In my role, I had front line exposure to market conditions and saw an emerging market need that I was confident my company could meet. Along with other colleagues, I developed an idea and pitched it to our CEO. He liked it and set about finding someone outside of the company to lead the development of this new business line. I REALLY wanted the job because I knew the offering could make an important contribution to circularity and sustainable development. I was confident (overly?) that I could be successful, despite how I looked on paper.
I told my CEO I could fill the role. He said no. After a month, they were unable to find a fit. I asked again for the job, and this time he agreed with the caveat to be careful what I wished for. Thanks to investment from the company, a great team and a little luck, we successfully launched the new offering to the marketplace. It is a thriving concern to this day, though I am no longer involved.
This experience really helped me to earn my bona fides in the sustainability space from the perspective of running a business. I am grateful to that CEO for the opportunity, and although I admire him, I continue to disregard his advice to be careful what I wish for.
Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?
“And for your information, you Lorax, I’m figgering on biggering”-The Once-ler.
I think as a society, and as an economy, we must disassociate growth, and growth of growth, from prosperity. I strive to articulate a business case that can create value without relying on unbridled waste generation.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connie-prostko-bell-607ba37/
This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Connie Prostko-Bell Of ALL4: Five Strategies Our Company Is Using To Tackle Climate Change & Become… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.