Dr. Saskia Feast Of Natural Capital Partners: Five Strategies Our Company Is Using To Tackle Climate Change & Become More Sustainable
Progress and profit can live together and we’re seeing more companies integrate climate action as part of their corporate business strategy. For the last three years we’ve looked at the commitments made by the Fortune Global 500 and while the number of commitments continues to grow, there’s still over 60% of companies who haven’t set a meaningful 2030 goal. Change will require all companies to come onboard and getting there means using a wide array of strategies.
As part of our series about how companies are becoming more sustainable, we had the pleasure of interviewing Saskia Feast, Managing Director, Global Client Solutions, Natural Capital Partners.
For Saskia there is no such thing as a problem — only solutions. With a Ph.D. in chemistry, her scientific mind always wants to know more. With an MBA from Presidio Graduate School, she believes in the power of business to transform our economy. And with her boundless curiosity and endless charm (while retaining a hint of British irony), she thrives on building long term partnerships with her clients. She’s not content with just delivering what they need right now, but is always looking for the solutions they need for even greater impact and value into the future.
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’m a chemist by training — I have a PhD and came from the UK to California, where I got my first job working with chemical sensing technology spun out of CalTech. It was my big break that enabled me to move from the research lab to the commercial side of bringing a new technology to market. My scientific background helps me talk the language of both business and science. Using those skills, I pursued my MBA in sustainable management in the U.S. In business school, I met peers who planned to use carbon finance to deal with the legacy of old refrigerants that were leaking into the environment. Together we launched a new carbon offset project type, leading to millions of tons of CO2e emissions being avoided. You know what they say — it’s all about who you meet. The efficiency and measurable impact of carbon finance projects was always very appealing to me and I’ve enjoyed working in the space. I joined Natural Capital Partners in 2016 and serve as the Managing Director of Global Client Solutions where I work with some of the world’s most forward-thinking companies on carbon reduction and removal solutions that deliver immediate, measurable and positive impacts for the environment, for society and for business.
What is the mission of your company? What problems are you aiming to solve?
We have a goal of reducing 1 billion tons of carbon emissions by 2030, working alongside our climate-leading clients and our project partners. Quality and impact underpin our business: working with the highest quality project partners to deliver the greatest impact on climate, people and their planet — all those things are inextricably linked.
Natural Capital Partners has more than 20 years of experience developing and implementing climate finance, carbon neutrality and net zero solutions for some of the world’s largest companies, including Microsoft, VMware, MetLife, UPS and more. We help them invest in emission reduction projects that produce immediate results and drive the transition to a net zero economy while supporting the livelihoods of communities and conserving biodiversity. Our projects address not only climate change and biodiversity, but also global sustainable development to improve economic empowerment and social justice.
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?
We are voluntary carbon market specialists, which means we use the market, its standards and the systems that support it to move finance from the private sector to projects that deliver carbon emission reductions.
A great example of a project is Ecofiltro in Guatemala. In a country where 55% of the rural population does not have access to clean drinking water, this project developed a ceramic water filter that is sold at an affordable price to families. Using the filter, they can clean their water and no longer need to collect or buy wood to boil it — reducing deforestation and saving both time and money. The water filters are also distributed for free to the community’s schools and health centers. I was fortunate enough to visit the project, meet its founder, tour the factory where the filters are made and visit some of the families who are using them — it was very inspiring.
We have many inspiring clients who have gone on a journey with us to develop their climate action program. VMware is a particularly good example of how that journey progresses as a business evolves and raises ambition. The company started by achieving carbon neutrality in 2018, added 100% renewable energy in 2019, had a Science-Based Target for internal reductions agreed in 2020 and has now set a target for net zero across its operations and supply chain by 2030. The company’s technology for its clients helps decarbonize their digital infrastructure, transforming its operations through internal reductions. For any remaining emissions, VMWare works with Natural Capital partners to ensure they take full responsibility for their footprint.
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?
Progress and profit can live together and we’re seeing more companies integrate climate action as part of their corporate business strategy. For the last three years we’ve looked at the commitments made by the Fortune Global 500 and while the number of commitments continues to grow, there’s still over 60% of companies who haven’t set a meaningful 2030 goal. Change will require all companies to come onboard and getting there means using a wide array of strategies.
We see companies attaining business value through their programs in several ways: attracting and retaining the best talent who increasingly demand climate action from their employers, understanding and reducing the risk of climate change on their business such as supply chain disruption and meeting the expectations of investors and customers who want to work with businesses that have strong credentials on environment to be more sustainable in the long-term.
Carbon offsetting and enabling companies to go above and beyond required regulations puts a measurable price on carbon that can drive reforms for greater internal efficiencies and reduced operational costs. If they know they’re going to pay $20 per ton to offset their emissions, companies will look more closely at how they can make internal changes to lower the amount of carbon footprint they need to offset.
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 5 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 admire these young people and their determination to deliver a powerful message. For me personally, business is where the rubber hits the road and I’m more focused on what they can and should do. When businesses step up, they have enormous power to deliver the long-term transformation we need through finance, innovation and influence. We need all businesses to establish a sense of purpose, which goes deeper than financial returns and shows how the private sector can restore a planet for everyone to thrive.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
First, communication is key to success and it’s really about listening. Most of the successes or failures I’ve encountered in business have been due to poor communication — people talking over each other. It requires time to communicate effectively, with many people needing to go away from a meeting or initial conversation, absorb what has been shared and come back with further questions and clarifications to move forward. Too often we rush this critical step — it’s important to establish that we’re on the same page.
Some other things I wish someone told me are:
- Sometimes you just don’t fit with an organization and that’s OK.
- It’s OK to be wrong. We all are. Decisions must be made, tested and moved on from once the evidence shows we were wrong.
- You can’t do everything — hence why we have teams.
- Be true to who you are and your strengths.
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?
It has to be my husband. You can look at my achievements on paper and think I’m very successful. However, I am often very worried that I’m not enough, don’t have the answers, or am in over my head. He recognized this early in our marriage and has been an incredible supporter over the years, boosting my confidence and being there for me even when I questioned my own ability to navigate challenges. He supported me to invest in an MBA in Sustainable Management (quite a risky program then) when our kids were tiny, to take a lower salary to pursue my dreams and to take a year off to balance work and family.
You are a person of great influence and doing some great things for the world! If you could inspire a movement that would bring the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
A shift in our workplaces from individuals being present to roles being fulfilled instead. If we were to structure organizations based on the roles that had to be covered, it would be less about the individual and more about working as a team to ensure that role was covered. We could partner experienced people close to retirement with younger leadership navigating work/life issues. We could build resilience into our work. It’s all about sustainability to ensure we evenly distribute access to rewarding work.
Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?
“Be not another, if you can be yourself” by Paracelsus. It took me a while to realize this was important to me. I studied chemistry because my dad was my role model, a very successful and happy chemist doing research. It seemed that being a chemist would be the route to happiness. It took me many years of research, including a post-doc in the Netherlands, to finally come to terms with the fact that I’m energized by commerce not by research.
What is the best way for people to follow you on social media?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saskiafeast/
Twitter:
This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Dr. Saskia Feast Of Natural Capital Partners: Five Strategies Our Company Is Using To Tackle… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.