Matthias Muehlbauer

In the earlier-stage startup world, companies that can prove their impact differentiate themselves from competitors. LCAs can be used as the tool to show this. For example, you might have a dairy-free milk alternative product that you believe has a lower carbon impact compared to your dairy-competitors. Performing an LCA (in this case, a comparative LCA), can be used to support carbon impact claims which then serve as a competitive differentiator. This information can prove useful for both customers and potential investors, as you are able to quantify your difference with the market, increasing the attractiveness of your product to customers, and your company, to investors.

From a corporate lens, it is often important to show your impact of initiatives, connected to or supporting the business case. When sharing metrics, indicators or stories that demonstrate your value or impact, you should try to integrate the financial impact as much as possible. Impactful initiatives often use models to showcase both the environmental and financial impact of a new project, whether it be switching from virgin to recycled polyester, or in transitioning operations to renewable energy. Better impact models integrate scenario analysis, which highlights the spectrum of probabilistic scenarios that might occur based on different decisions. By using these in your role, your impact story becomes richer and well thought out.

When looking for sustainability education to boost your career, one area you should consider is the extent of applied learning, and how it connects to your dream sustainability career. Academic-related courses are often taught by tenured lecturers teaching as a condition of their research, and have spent years outside the profession. This is especially important as from a corporate sustainability perspective, the sustainability field is changing every 3-6 months with regulations. This means that as a graduate of a longer term degree, the content you are learning in your first semester is out of date by the second. Find practical learning, taught by practitioners and that allows you to learn the skills required in your dream job role.

Prepare some sort of narrative that highlights your journey to sustainability. This can include a mix of professional experience, but if you are switching into sustainability mid-career, you may not have many experiences to draw upon. Consider other experiences such as a personal connection to the environment, volunteer experiences that show environmental stewardship or sustainability / climate communities that you've engaged with. Sustainability jobs have seen a big uptick in demand so employers are receiving numerous job applications. Differentiate yourself by making sure you can connect sustainability to your purpose in a mission-aligned way.

When defining your goals and indicators, it is often important to go back to the science underlying your goal. When thinking about setting your net zero commitment and goals around your GHG emissions, your industry and sector will likely have sector guidance for you to map your progress. According to Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), all sectors can set a target in line with science. Some sectors that may be harder-to-decarbonize may use the Sector Decarbonization Approach (SDA), and you can find guidance on their website (https://sciencebasedtargets.org/sectors). The effectiveness of your goals then are aligned to how quickly we need to decarbonize companies, to ensure that your sustainability projects are on track.

Find a way to track your emissions to understand your initial baseline of emissions. You can find great apps like The Commons (https://www.thecommons.earth/), or do your retail banking with a bank that partners with Ecolytiq (https://ecolytiq.com/consumer-banking). These mobile apps track your financial data and estimate your emissions based on your daily activity, such as what you eat, what type of transportation you use, and what types of goods & services you consume. Once you have a baseline, you can look at interventions into your footprint that make the most impact. Often these apps will provide education and increase your awareness to guide you through the process to allow you to start small, but make data-driven decisions.