< PreviousStorytelling is one of the most powerful tools humans have to bridge those divides. By publishing stories that connect our readers to their neighbours, to people con- tinents away, and to the ecosystems we’re all part of, Asparagus can strengthen those readers’ resolve — and capacity — to take action in their own lives that can impact the planet as a whole. Stories not only help people better understand each other and the world around us, but they also bring people together. Our journalism has enabled us to create a community of readers who gather around issues they care about and want to understand better. Since 2018, we’ve presented virtual and in-person documentary screenings and discussions, and in August 2022, we held our fi rst in-person event in over two years. Th at sold-out gathering — co-hosted with EartHand Gleaners Society — was a joyful opportunity for us to share the sustainable textile expertise of EartHand’s artists with some of our longtime readers and welcome EartHand fans to our community. Th ese kinds of opportunities to learn and con- nect are critical to building the informed coalitions we need to make things better for all life on Earth. What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience? We are a tiny organization with an even tinier budget. It’s important to us to always pay contributors, even if we can’t pay them as much as we think they deserve. As such, we’re only able to publish as many stories as we can aff ord to pay for, which, these days, is not very many. But without new content, it’s hard to grow our audience to the size that could support us. It’s a vicious circle we’re trying hard to break out of so we can create award-winning, thought-pro- voking journalism for years to come. And, as of this August, we've been hit with a new challenge to growing our audience: having all our posts and links to our website blocked in Canada on both Facebook and Instagram as a result of Meta's punitive response to recent federal legislation.2 Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you'd like to share? We are working on building partnerships that will help us get back to publishing online and in print with the frequency of past years. If you work with or know of an organization looking to collaborate on high-quality journalism about how we can live sustainably, we’d love to connect. Our next exciting initiative could be a partner- ship with you! How can people help support your mission? Having the COVID-19 pandemic start just as we celebrated publishing our second issue meant we weren’t able to build our audience the way we had planned at a time when our young organization really needed to grow. As a result, we don’t have the number of readers or fi nancial supporters that we need to sustainably support the work we created Asparagus to do. People who believe in our mission can best support us by subscribing to the print magazine and/or by making a fi nancial donation. Th ose who can’t contribute fi nancially can still help by spreading the word about our work to their com- munities, whether by posting on social media, requesting that their local library or newsstand stock the magazine, or, most impactful of all, making individual recommendations to family, friends, and co-workers who want to build a just soci- ety on a healthy planet. 1. Check out the Climate Disaster Project at climatedisasterproject.com. 2. Read “Your questions about Meta and other social media giants blocking news in Canada, explained,” from July 21, 2023, on CBC News’ website, cbc.ca/news. By publishing stories that connect our readers to their neighbours, to people continents away, and to the ecosystems we’re all part of, Asparagus can strengthen those readers’ resolve — and capacity — to take action in their own lives that can impact the planet as a whole. asparagusmagazine.com facebook.com/asparagusmag twitter.com/asparagusmag (@asparagusmag) linkedin.com/company/ asparagus-magazine instagram.com/asparagus.mag (@asparagus.mag) Alia Dharssi, Deputy Editor of Asparagus, connecting with readers old and new at East Van's Trout Lake Farmers Market. Photo credit: Jessie Johnston 30 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEU p c l i n g F o o d W a s t e. C y c l i n g Y o u r W a s t e ! U p c y c l i n g F o o d W a s t e . C y c l i n g Y o u r W a s t e ! LearnMore F I B R E Susgrainable.ca Exercise Exercise Your Your Insides Insides In Select BC Retailers Or Online At Susgrainable.ca FindUsI n the face of global crises, historically-excluded communities are disproportionately impacted by the eff ects of climate change. Luckily, there is a growing movement that looks at this issue through an intersectional lens, and the individuals behind it are working hard to educate others and spread awareness to take action. We spoke with Sabs Katz, Co- Founder and Partnerships Lead at Intersectional Environmentalist, about how this collective is amplifying the intersectional environmentalism movement through content creation, activations, education, and community-building. What was the “spark” that inspired you to start creating Intersectional Environmentalist content? Intersectional Environmentalist (IE) was founded during the resurgence of the civil rights movement back in 2020. After the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, there was little vocal sup- port from the environmental community. Leah Th omas (@greengirlleah) created an Instagram post that would end up going viral, calling on climate advocates to stand in solidarity with Black lives and defi ning intersectional environmentalism. With the momentum and support from the climate justice community online, Leah connected with fellow en- vironmentalists like Diandra Marizet (@ diandramarizet), Phil Aiken (@philthe- fi xer), myself (@sustainablesabs), and our larger community to develop a resource hub and Instagram page for learning more about the intersections between climate and social justice. What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you? Th ere are so many things we’ve been proud of, but if I have to choose one I’d say it’s the community we’ve built. Being in community with and having support Intersectional Environmentalist Amplifying intersectionality in the climate space IE team and community at the inaugural Earth Sessions Show in Brooklyn in April . 32 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEfrom 500K individuals across the world has been so affi rming. Seeing folks en- gage with and use our resources, as well as start clubs and groups dedicated to intersectional environmentalism, seeing students change their school curriculum, and even hearing the White House speak to the importance of intersection- ality in the climate space1 shows just how prolifi c this movement is and how much it’s needed! How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better? It’s been incredible to have a pulse on our reach and to see how people are taking the message of intersectional environmentalism and really embodying it. By leading with climate optimism, storytelling, and solutions, our community has taken these environmental justice learnings and empowered themselves to start community groups, join local gardens, and participate in wealth distribution for grassroots organizations. What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience? Challenges like the ever-changing algorithm, emerging trends, and digital burnout have encouraged us to get creative and reimagine how we disseminate and share our resources with people. Content creation and education/ awareness will always be a part of our off erings, so we’re excited to continue navigating the digital landscape and using social media as a tool for building this movement. Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you'd like to share? We’re currently re-imagining the next chapter for IE, and through that process are focusing on continuing to support our online community with educational assets and fostering more in-person activations that bridge communities with their local environmental justice (EJ) leaders through off erings like Earth Sessions (@earthsessions.ie), workshops, campus visits, and book giveaway meet-ups. How can people help support your mission? Following and engaging with our content, joining local environmental justice initiatives, taking action toward the things you’re passionate about (e.g. joining a community garden, support- ing frontline communities, voting, etc.), amplifying climate optimism and solutions, and supporting grassroots climate justice organizations are all ways we, as individuals, can support a more equitable and inclusive future. IE's The Joy Report Podcast The Joy Report is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy. Financial support for The Joy Report goes toward curating episodes and paying BIPOC writers for sharing stories on the organizations and heroes fi ghting for equity and inclusion in the outdoors. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify 1. Read “Remarks by Vice President Harris in a Moderated Conversation on Climate” from January 12, 2023, on The White House’s website, whitehouse.gov. Being in community with and having support from 500K individuals across the world has been so affirming. Xiuhtezcatl performing at IE Earth Sessions Show in Los Angeles in summer . IE Team and community at a hike in Southern California in . intersectionalenvironmentalist.com facebook.com/ intersectionalenvironmentalist twitter.com/isxenviro (@isxenviro) instagram.com/ intersectionalenvironmentalist (@intersectionalenvironmentalist) youtube.com/ @intersectionalenvironmenta1731 tiktok.com/@isxenvironmentalist linktr.ee/isxenvironmentalist Photo credit: Mekhi Marcelino DECEMBER 2023 • ISSUE 06 33O nline communities can lead to powerful real-world connections. With the right content, tools, and a dash of radical vulnerability, creating a platform to share stories has helped close gaps and bring more people into the fi ght against climate change, especially those often left in the fray. We spoke with Kristy Drutman, Founder of Brown Girl Green, about how her platform is empowering conversations, community, and careers in the climate change space. What was the “spark” that inspired you to start advocating for and creating content about environmental rights? When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, I felt devastated about the impacts the climate crisis was having and would have on the country where my family members live. I realized I had a responsibility and privilege to use my voice to raise awareness about these issues, especially in the US. Brown Girl Green Creating tangible climate-related impact via a powerful online community My biggest success was building an online community where people started learning about each other's work and actually meeting each other in real life after discovering one another through the Brown Girl Green platform. Kristy Drutman 34 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEWhat do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you? My biggest success was building an online community where people started learning about each other's work and actually meeting each other in real life after discovering one another through the Brown Girl Green platform. Further, creating the Green Jobs Board, a company now helping thou- sands of people fi nd and secure jobs to work on the climate crisis, feels like a true, tangible impact I've created through digital media tools. I identifi ed a major pain point and storytelling gap when it comes to mobilizing and bringing more people into the move- ment: fi nding spaces and opportunities for them to build long-term, lifetime careers. Multiple young people of colour are on my team, working to address accessibility gaps in the world of climate work and to begin building the standard for a sustainable and equitable future. How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better? Having a platform creates a space for conversations that otherwise wouldn't be prioritized or heard. It increases the surface area of opportunity for com- munities and campaigns that otherwise get left off the radar by the mainstream media. It provides me with the agency and autonomy to put out good work in the world without having too many strings attached to me in the process. In that way, my radical vulnerability creates a space of permission for others to strive and speak their own truth as well. What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience? Algorithmic suppression of BIPOC cre- ators, internet trolls/haters, and keeping the work funded through partnerships, collaborations, and my management team. All of this requires a lot of energy and brainpower to ensure the mov- ing puzzle pieces create a sustainable platform and workfl ow. Also having to vet who I work with — based on ethics, sustainability of my work, etc. — takes it to the next level. Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you'd like to share? Yes! Th e new release of greenjobsboard. us. For any companies and organizations looking for a platform to hire amazing, diverse talent, please consider using Green Jobs Board! Also, the Brown Girl Green podcast is up and on fi re these days with weekly episodes all about climate education and environmental justice. If you're looking for an environ- mental podcast curated with fascinating topics and full of melanin, subscribe to wherever you listen to shows and the Brown Girl Green YouTube channel. How can people help support your mission? I am always looking for organizations and values-aligned businesses to col- laborate with, whether it be speaking engagements, workshops, content, or getting green jobs up on our site! If you're someone who feels aligned with my work and mission to bring more diversity, equity, and inclusion to the climate space via storytelling and educa- tion, please hit me up! Creating the Green Jobs Board, a company now helping thousands of people find and secure jobs to work on the climate crisis, feels like a true, tangible impact I've created through digital media tools. browngirlgreen.com browngirlgreen.com/greenjobs facebook.com/browngirlgreen twitter.com/browngirl_green (@BrownGirl_Green) linkedin.com/company/brown-girl-green instagram.com/browngirl_green (@browngirl_green) youtube.com/@BrownGirlGreen patreon.com/browngirlgreen communities.kajabi.com/ browngirlgreen/challenges Left: Kristy speaking at the UN Water Conference. Bottom: Kristy speaking to a group and doing resume review for green job seekers at the Earth Day festival in New York City. DECEMBER 2023 • ISSUE 06 35B uilding a sustainable world where future generations can fl ourish within nature’s limits is going to take a lot of work from dedicated communities. In order to accelerate their sustainability journey, changemakers need free, accessible resources that will help them carry out this work as eff ectively as possible. We spoke with Bob Willard, Founder of Sustainability Advantage, about how his platform is providing sustainability champions worldwide with the tools they need to make a lasting impact. What was the “spark” that inspired you to start creating Sustainable Advantage content? Th ere were four sparks that inspired me. First, in the mid-1990s, my wife and I became concerned about the planned location of a new water treatment plant for our community, Ajax, Ontario. We were uneasy about its close proximity to the upstream Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. Our concerns about the amount of unremovable radioactive tritium in our drinking water led to a three-year eff ort with multiple levels of government to relocate the water treatment plant. We were not successful. However, the intake pipe for the water plant was angled away from the Pickering nuclear plant, further out into Lake Ontario and deeper down, so the triti- um would be more diluted. Th e experience shook my naïve faith that the people in charge were looking after us. It was a wake- up call that, as citizens, we sometimes have to roll up our sleeves and get involved. We also moved. Second, during the water plant saga, my day job was leadership development at IBM Canada. We used learning organization principles in that training, so I undertook a part-time master’s degree about learning organizations at the University of Toronto (UofT). As the water plant issue evolved, I decided to complete my studies with cours- es at the UofT School of the Environment. Th at was an eye-opener. I had no idea how we were jeopardizing the ecosystem services on which human civilization depends. Th ere were bigger issues than tritium in drinking water that needed our attention. Th ird, also during the mid-1990s, I stumbled across Th e Natural Step (TNS) and learned how we were violating the four science-based system conditions for a thriv- ing human society of a fi nite planet. We expect governments to fi x this, but govern- ments can’t do it alone. From my 34 years of experience at IBM, I knew that the resourc- es, creativity, and infl uence of the business community were needed as well. But most companies only do things that benefi t their bottom lines. We needed a compelling business case that reassured companies it was in their best interest to help address pressing environmental and social issues. I couldn’t fi nd a convincing business case for corporate sustainability, so I decided to create one. It was my master’s thesis. Sustainability Advantage Amplifying sustainability efforts with effective resources 36 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEFourth, my master’s thesis advisor ca- sually suggested that I should convert my thesis into a book. I laughed. Why would I do that? Writing a book sounded like a lot of work. But he had planted a seed. In 2000, I received my master’s degree and retired from IBM. I don’t golf, so I decid- ed to spend my leisure hours converting my thesis into a book, Th e Sustainability Advantage. I also created spreadsheets to help any company assess how much more profi t it could make if it improved its environmental and social impacts. Th e book was published in 2002. Th e same year, I founded my sole proprietorship, Sustainability Advantage. Being a father, and soon-to-be grandfather, those four seeds found fertile ground, and my new career as a sustain- ability champion was launched. My fami- ly’s future was at stake. We need all hands on deck with tools that enable them to be eff ective change agents. What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you? Over the last 23 years, I have written six books, one of which is available in Portuguese, and given over 1,600 talks worldwide. I have served on the boards of many not-for-profi t/non-governmental organizations. I am a Certifi ed B Corp, qualify as a social enterprise, and have earned several awards for my work. I provide over a dozen free, open-source tools on my website to help sustainability champions assess organizational sus- tainability performance and cost-justify improvements. Subscribers can use and tailor the 900+ slides in my six Master Slide Decks for their purposes, saving them the eff ort of researching and creat- ing the slides from scratch. I am helping sustainability champions make an impact with these resources. Occasionally, I am approached by some- one who heard me do a talk several years ago and they say it changed their lives. I get asked back to do guest presentations in college and university courses and do many keynotes at conferences worldwide. “Success” is creating resources that are useful. So far, I have anecdotal evidence that they are for the thousands who have downloaded them. Th at’s good enough for me. How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better? “You have to do it yourself; you can’t do it alone,” is one of the leadership paradoxes I explain in Th e Sustainability Champion’s Guidebook. As a sole propri- etor, I have to work through others. I’ve served on the boards of infl uential organi- zations like TNS Canada, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC), and B Lab’s Standards Advisory Council (SAC). My website platform, with over a dozen free, open-source resources, helps the community of sustainability champi- ons be more eff ective change agents. My 50–80 talks per year provide an oppor- tunity to alert people to resources that can help them be more eff ective change agents so that they don’t waste time recreating them. It feels good to continu- ously hear back from kindred spirits who are making a diff erence in their spheres of infl uence with the aid of my resources. We need all hands on deck with tools that enable them to be effective change agents. Bob Willard DECEMBER 2023 • ISSUE 06 37What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience? I have had the privilege of working with some amazing people to create my resources. I continuously upgrade them with new ideas and suggestions from users and reviewers. Creating content is the fun part. Building out the audience/users is the challenge. I am uneasy that well-inten- tioned sustainability champions may still be wasting time reinventing the wheel. I need to be better at raising awareness of my free, open-source resources. Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you'd like to share? I am very concerned about climate change. I’m heavily engaged in encouraging gov- ernments, especially the Canadian govern- ment, to integrate Net-Zero Procurement (NZP) elements into their current procurement processes. NZP ensures that the buyer/government gets the best value for money by procuring the most climate-friendly goods and services from suppliers who are the most committed to science-based net-zero targets. Th e buying power of companies and governments using Net-Zero Procurement is a market force that will mobilize businesses in the race to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 or sooner. In a robust NZP system, all suppliers, regardless of size or sector, must disclose their net-zero GHG reduction targets and plans. Th e disclosures include their current direct and indirect GHG inventories, their commitment to science-based net-zero targets, and their plans to reach those time-based targets. In Canada, as in all countries, over 98% of companies are small,1 having fewer than 100 employees. Many of them are in government supply chains and would be required to make the above disclo- sures. However, most net-zero disclosure frameworks and standards are designed for large companies. Th ey are very challenging for a small supplier. Th at’s why I created a short, reasonable questionnaire — the free, open-source Net-Zero Assessment Tool (NZAT) — for use by small and medi- um–sized enterprises who do not have the benefi t of in-house sustainability staff or expertise. It enables any-size supplier to self-assess and disclose its commitment to net-zero targets. Further, a NZP system makes the dis- closed scores matter. All requests for pro- posals (RFPs) assign a weight of 10%–30% of the points — enough to make it matter — to suppliers’ net-zero assessment scores. For example, if the weight assigned to a supplier’s net-zero score was 20% and a supplier’s overall score on the net-zero as- sessment questionnaire was 68%, the sup- plier would earn 13.6% of the 20% weight. Th is approach incentivizes suppliers’ eff orts to attain science-based net-zero targets, improve their scores, and earn preferential treatment over their competitors. Why would a supplier bother making these net-zero disclosures? Because their important customer asks them to and their answer matters. If a supplier chooses not to complete the questionnaire, it is still My vision is a sustainable world in which people and businesses flourish within nature’s limits. My mission is to provide resources to sustainability champions to help accelerate our sustainability journey before it’s too late. 38 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINE1. Pinzon Delgado, E., Fair, R., and Johnston, C. (2023). Analysis on small businesses in Canada, fi rst quarter of 2023. Statistics Canada. eligible to be a supplier; it just earns a score of zero on their net-zero eff orts and will not earn any of the points allotted to supplier net-zero commitment in the bid appraisal. It’s the supplier’s choice. Th at’s the magic in the disclosure superpower of NZP: it’s voluntary, it’s easy, and it matters. How can people help support your mission? My purpose is to ensure future generations have the opportunity for at least the quality of life that I have enjoyed. My vision is a sustain- able world in which people and businesses fl ourish within nature’s limits. My mission is to provide resources to sustainability champi- ons to help accelerate our sustain- ability journey before it’s too late. People can support me by using my free, open-source resources to help them be more eff ective change agents, starting with addressing the climate crisis. For example, my save-the-world strategy starts with helping the Canadian government implement Net-Zero Procurement. Th en we can package the system elements and make them available to other levels of government and to other countries. Th is improves the proba- bility of meeting science-based glob- al GHG reduction targets in time. Because NZP gives bonus points to suppliers if they use NZP with their own suppliers. NZP will soon be used by companies, worldwide. Net-Zero Procurement is a starter set for a more comprehensive sustainable procurement system. Sustainable procurement (SP) ensures that the buyers/govern- ments get the best value for money by procuring the most sustainable goods and services from the most sustainable suppliers. SP creates a market for sustainable products and an economy in which the most sustainable companies thrive. When governments and companies every- where implement an SP system that makes sustainability scores matter, we will have attained the sustainable society, economy, and environment that we want. Th en I can really retire. Check out the full library of Bob Willard’s sustainability resource books: sustainabilityadvantage.com/books-dvds sustainabilityadvantage.com twitter.com/bob_willard (@bob_willard) linkedin.com/in/bobwillardsustainabilityguy DECEMBER 2023 • ISSUE 06 39Next >