An Interview With Monica Sanders
Recognize that climate injustice is real — While climate change affects us all, it targets disadvantaged communities first. Those in flood zones or those facing poor insulant see less investment, and mitigation has exposed discrepancies. With better data comes clearer solutions.
According to the University of Colorado, “Those who are most affected and have the fewest resources to adapt to climate change are also the least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions — both globally and within the United States.” Promoting climate justice is an incredibly important environmental responsibility that is slowly becoming more and more recognized. In this interview series, we are talking to leaders who are helping to promote sustainability and climate justice. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Josh Griffin.
nZero Co-founder Josh Griffin, a former elected state legislator, has represented a number of the largest tech, gaming, mining, and health-care companies in the world. As Chief Policy Officer, Josh connects nZero’s data-driven solutions to companies, governments and communities that desire better information to meet their financial and sustainability objectives.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in Reno, Nevada, in a family that loved to travel. My mom worked as a flight attendant for Pan Am, and my dad worked in the logistics industry, so they were both passionate about traveling. We were constantly traveling as a family, which really shaped who I am today. I’ve always loved to explore the world and now share that interest in traveling with my wife and kids. I think the more you travel and see the world, the more you appreciate and respect it.
Back at home in Reno, we were a very politically active family. My dad was the mayor of Reno, and I was able to run both of his campaigns. I also served in the Nevada State Legislature. Our mutual appreciation for travel, politics and public policy at an early stage in my life really shaped my career path and passions today.
Everyone has a cataclysmic moment or marker in their life which propels them to take certain actions, a “why”. What is your why?
When I was elected to the Nevada legislature in 2002, I was the youngest member of that session. I had always considered myself a politically partisan and campaign-oriented person, but in my one legislative session, I quickly came to appreciate policy more. Policy is not a part of our public discourse enough. I decided to become a lobbyist instead of seeking reelection because my time in the legislature made me realize how much policy truly matters.
I sat on committees to better understand how the execution of the state budget has an impact on areas of public policy, from education to transportation, among others. I was fortunate to turn that interest into a job and be at the front of some exciting policy changes for several years, both in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada, before starting nZero. Policy can be challenging. It can upset people and cause disagreements, but I have a much greater deal of respect for those who choose to be involved in these kinds of decisions for their cities and states. It was that experience that shaped my passion for policy and how I could use it to help businesses, cities and states thrive.
You are currently leading an organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change?
Companies cannot track their environmental impacts or adjust their processes and goals without accurate, real-time data. nZero is a real-time carbon accounting and management platform that collects, analyzes, and produces the world’s most accurate emissions data to help customers accelerate their journey to net zero. We’re able to provide 24/7 analysis of scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, creating data that can be used for operational and capital planning, leveraging tax credits, preparing for evolving reporting standards, and preventing greenwashing.
At nZero, we’re able to provide, on average, 30% more accurate data than industry averages. We deliver actionable insights from our automated insights engine for the most valuable carbon management and accounting available, protecting organizations and the planet. Our work has not only helped inform the SEC’s proposed climate disclosure rules but provided invaluable data to partners across industries. Our partners include the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the City of Reno, Washoe County, Atlantic Aviation, the Škoda Tour LuXembourg 2022 and Allegiant Stadium/Las Vegas Raiders to name a few.
As chief policy officer, my role is to connect our solutions to companies, governments and communities that want better information to meet their financial and sustainability goals. Our platform empowers true business decision-making capabilities, helping to create climate action roadmaps and providing data validation and security checks to ensure audit-ready data trails.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
One common theme we’ve seen since the early days of nZero, from corporate to state customers, is that organizations often don’t know where they are on their journey. Companies know they want to reduce their environmental impacts when they can. They want to make decisions to electrify, lower their impacts, etc., but very few organizations know what kind of progress they are making. Being able to help customers on that journey with real-time, insightful data is extremely rewarding.
When we started working with the City of Reno, we were reviewing the city’s published goals compared to their actual emissions, when Mayor Schieve said, “I don’t want to simply meet our goals with ‘green accounting.’ I want to actually find out how we lower these emissions.” The City of Reno has incredible sustainability stats, and Mayor Schieve did not want to blur those findings. It was Mayor Schieve who really said we need to publicly share what we are doing right and wrong. Once you say that, it allows for a lot of trust with stakeholders, whether they be NGOs, taxpayers, employees, etc. We can all share a common problem and fix it together. Without that concrete awareness, it’s difficult to address. That’s part of the reason we’ve implemented Public Emissions Portals to monitor, calculate and communicate a public entity’s carbon footprints to inspire change and bolster dialogue around climate action.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I will always consider my dad to be my greatest mentor. In addition to having a mutual love for travel, family and politics, my dad was self-employed for a long time. He worked in corporate America before moving with my mom to Reno to start a business. That can be a scary venture, but it allowed me to see the importance of entrepreneurship and having the courage to start your own organization.
nZero is a startup, and it’s risky to take on these kinds of projects. Before co-founding nZero, I founded a government affairs company. When it began doing well, my dad said, “You’ll never have a job again. When you work for yourself and you like it, you’ll have failures and stresses and all kinds of things. But at the end of the day, you’re in charge.”
I don’t relate that purely to nZero because it is so much more than just me and my role within the company. We have an excellent leadership team, but I always think of my dad’s quote as a reason to believe that if you see a problem, you should go fix it. It’s been so rewarding, even in moments of failure or discouragement.
Let’s now move to the central part of our discussion. Let’s start with a basic definition of terms so that everyone is on the same page. What does climate justice mean to you? How do we operationalize it?
If you just look at the long history of urban planning, it is easy to see countless examples of decisions made to congregate groups of people into parts of a community that are more susceptible to climate damage based on the “political structure” of the day. For example, today, that can be seen by communities that are in flood zones, lack EV charging infrastructure and renewable powered energy or have poor air quality. Climate justice is understanding these issues then developing and executing a plan to mitigate them. To do this, we must completely understand the issues at hand, and that takes real-time 24/7 data.
Science is telling us that we have 7–10 years to make critical decisions about climate change. What are three things you or your organization are doing to help?
- We are helping our customers identify the problems they can address when it comes to their environmental impact.
- We are showing them the operational and financial decisions they can make right now to lower their impact and save money.
- We’re helping customers share their journey with any audience they choose whether that be the general public, regulators or policy makers.
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you in your mission?
- Make sure everyone is measuring the problem as completely, accurately, and consistently as possible.
- Deploy resources to address the issues identified.
- Be transparent with all stakeholders.
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?
Carbon accounting and management plays a powerful role in both understanding current carbon contributions and identifying efficiencies to lower costs. Organizations may have the money to invest in more sustainable practices, but without 24/7 data and insights, they may not recognize how to best utilize those funds. Data is crucial to understanding what intervention is right for your business.
For example, the city of Reno considered installing more solar panels, but looking at nZero’s 24/7 granular data, we were able to identify that a portion of the city’s carbon emissions came from streetlights, which operate when there isn’t solar available. Adding more solar would not have decreased Reno’s gross solar impact in this case. Without nZero’s 24/7 real-time data, the city would not have been able to see the inefficiencies of that potential investment.
This is the signature question we ask in most of our interviews. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started promoting sustainability and climate justice” and why?
1. The value of big data and addressing data in the right way — When I think about my experience as a legislator going from partisan campaign work to being someone making decisions for larger parties, it changes your perspective. You can destroy a policy argument and fight with two different sets of data. If you take data out of the discussion, you can’t really make progress. When you look at the aggregated data (e.g., warmth, pollutant, distributing resources), those things can help you make really impactful decisions. Everyone can agree on what the problem is. Companies need accurate accounting and tracking data to understand their current environmental impacts and how to take action to improve them.
2. The economic benefits of getting to net zero — The Inflation Reduction Act is one of the most significant pieces of legislation since WWII. We’re seeing it as a tremendous economic opportunity to reach net zero targets and, in turn, boost the economy. It’s a way to get to net zero more easily and support better economic standpoints.
3. When one organization shares their journey, it inspires all of them to — Most companies, cities, states, government agencies, etc., are willing to invest in reducing their environmental impacts. Most aren’t afraid to be held accountable for them either. The biggest worry is different standards, different requirements and different consequences creating different risks and rewards. Getting everyone on the same standard and regulations is critical.
4. Reward the good operators — There is so much discussion around punishment, but markets respond to good news too. Customers should patron businesses they know are changing their practices to reduce impacts. Employees who find ways to decarbonize should be financially encouraged to do so. Public officials should be acknowledged when they adopt, execute, and share updates on policies that find more cost-effective ways to lower emissions.
5. Recognize that climate injustice is real — While climate change affects us all, it targets disadvantaged communities first. Those in flood zones or those facing poor insulant see less investment, and mitigation has exposed discrepancies. With better data comes clearer solutions.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.
The first person who came to mind was my grandmother (my mom’s mom). She passed away at 98 years old, and while I did get to spend a lot of time with her, I would have loved to meet her when she was younger. My grandmother and her two sisters graduated from college, which was not impossible for the time, but certainly rare. After my grandmother graduated in the 1930s, she lived with a native tribe in eastern Oregon as part of a sociology activity that she wanted to pursue. A middle class, young woman chose to leave the comforts of Oregon and stay with a Native American group to learn and live and get into the customs of their culture. I would love to ask her why she chose to do that and how she found the courage to take such a risk.
How can our readers continue to follow your work online?
You can follow me and nZero on Linkedin, and be sure to check out nzero.com to learn more about our ongoing work.
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This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org.
How Josh Griffin Of nZero Is Helping to Promote Sustainability and Climate Justice was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.