Defining your offering around climate
Saying you want to work in climate is as broad as saying you love sports. Navigating the vast options requires pinpointing where your skills meet urgent needs—all while making a living.
Saying "I want to work in climate" can feel as vague as declaring "I like sports." Are you into running, yoga, volleyball, or perhaps fencing?
We often use the term "sustainability" as a catch-all, but covering everything is impossible. Trying to do so quickly leads to overwhelm.
The exploration and evolution of your offering
The climate space is vast, and pinpointing the intersection between your skills and what organisations need takes exploration. How can you leverage your talents to address urgent planetary issues while also making a living?
This is no quick quest. As you start to define your offering, you'll also gain a deeper understanding of the extent of the problem and its root causes, which may in turn change what you want to offer.
From superficial solutions to radical rethinking
When I started my journey into climate work in 2009, we organised the first modular design workshops to promote the circular economy concept. In retrospect, we took a superficial approach, emphasising incremental changes rather than radical shifts in business models.
We were essentially putting band-aids on wooden legs, seeking more 'sustainable' versions of business as usual.
But as the years rolled on and my understanding of the interconnected issues deepened, it became increasingly clear that we must radically rethink most aspects of our society.
To truly understand the complexities, I had to delve into the historical legacies of colonialism, white supremacy, and capitalism that have shaped our current extractive systems, uncovering how they deepened inequalities and created divides between us, others, and nature.
This awakening has been challenging for me. I feel ashamed of the superficial solutions I once advocated and a sense of grief, realizing the full extent of the current ecological breakdown. But I’m also excited by the scale of change that is now inevitable.
Unfortunately, most of my potential clients still cling to the notion of traditional sustainability: reporting, improving, and reducing.
Action steps
So, what steps can we take to accelerate our personal and collective journey without feeling overwhelmed?
Invest time to understand the interconnected issues and root causes so we can focus on genuine solutions rather than mere band-aids.
Raise awareness to help others grasp these complex relationships and let’s get them excited about real solutions. Don't focus too much on pointing out the symptoms of climate change; nature's got her own PR campaign this year with all the extreme weather events that we’ve seen.
Identify your focus area (check out the shortcut below for inspiration). Once you find your niche, collaborate with others. Partnering up often results in a stronger offering and makes it easier to connect with potential clients.
The shortcut
Here are some excellent resources I've encountered on my climate journey. They can help you find your place in the climate space and deepen your understanding of the problem's scope and roots.
How to find your voice and space in climate and social change:
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson discusses how you can find joy in climate action (10 min)
How to Find Joy in Climate Action | Ayana Elizabeth Johnson | TEDFehinti Balogun uses humour to share his path to finding his voice for climate action. (10 min)
How to Find Your Voice for Climate Action | Fehinti Balogun | TED
If you don't want to spend months understanding the connections and extent of the crisis, this is a brilliant, poetic, and entertaining narration—a must-watch/listen. Just hit play
I want a better catastrophe - the flowchart | Andrew Boyd
Interesting opportunities for you
I've been hand-picking 20 freelance opportunities from job boards, Slack channels and Linkedin to save you some time:
User research & data
Research Support - Seren Labs
Data analyst - Camden Council
Data management expert - Abortion Support Network (ASN)
Design
Learning & evaluation
Facilitator - Nesta
Evaluation survey consultant - Sightsavers
Communication & engagement
Grant Writer - Center for Humane Technology (CHT)
Senior Copywriter - Sustainability consultancy
Communications Consultant - Stop Financing Factory Farming (S3F)
Media/Communications Campaigner - The Sunrise Project US
Climate Journalist - Curriculum Experts Turbine Education
Google Ad Grant manager - Mod Lab
Other gigs
Project Manager Marketing- Vytal
Program Coordinator - Pollicy
Administrative Assistance - Climate Change AI (CCAI)
Web Developer - Moonshot
No-code developer - Climate tech company
Scoping partner - Urban Health
☕️ If you found this valuable and want to say thanks, buy me a coffee ☕️
♥️ If you found an exciting opportunity and want to share it with the community, click here.
What's happening at IMMA?
🎬 A sneak peek at what's happening behind the scenes:
We are organising our first in-person gatherings 🎉🎈
🐻 Berlin: Friday 8th of September, 6 pm - Join us here
💂🏻♀️London: Thursday 14th of September, 6 pm - Join us hereI had a great conversation with Hannah from The Now Work about mutual support; they connect independent sustainability experts with organisations.
I will be in your inbox again on September 15th. 👋
Take care, and hey, if you liked this newsletter, why not share it with someone?
Talk soon,
Lilli
💌 PS: Follow us on Linkedin - we often repost opportunities and more valuable resources.