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GreenBiz 350 Podcast

Episode 212: Coping with coronavirus, Earth Day goes digital, how ESG funds are faring

Insights from employee engagement expert Susan Hunt Stevens, Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers and Cornerstone Capital founder Erika Karp.

Week in Review

Commentary on this week's news highlights begins at 4:09.

  1. COVID-19 and climate change: A healthy dose of reality
  2. Will COVID-19’s transport slowdown stick?
  3. Here’s how retail can be both sustainable and profitable
  4. Why do large asset managers vote against most climate-related shareholder proposals?

Features

'Well-governed companies are more resilient' (20:56)

Cornerstone Capital founder and CEO Erika Karp reflects on the "unprecedented" market correction triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and what that means for the ESG investment movement.

It starts with empathy: Managing during an unprecedented crisis (28:42)

Employee engagement expert Susan Hunt Stevens, founder and CEO of WeSpire, offers advice for companies grappling with the "social distancing" required to fight spread of the coronavirus — whether workers are still on site or performing their jobs remotely and digitally. A key takeaway: Ask questions and get your employees involved in the solutions. It will help mitigate some of the stress and anxiety associated with uncertainty.  

Earth Day goes digital (37:54)

Many live activities are being postponed to September and October, but prepare for an onslaught of online activism — from citizen science apps to virtual teach-ins. Earth Day Network's Kathleen Rogers discusses the evolving 50th-anniversary game plan.

It's yellow, and electric: Not your average school bus (50:30)

Tim Shannon, transportation director of the Twinrivers Unified School District near Sacramento, California, discusses its strategy to take its entire 90-plus vehicle fleet over the next several years. 

*Music in this episode by Lee Rosevere and The Seastars: "Thinking It Over," "Knowing the Truth," "Waiting for the Moment That Never Comes," "Introducing the Pre-roll" and "Start the Day"

What's new at GreenBiz?

Retailers and the circular economy. Hear from a panel of retail experts navigating the financial, operational, behavioral and strategic hurdles to introduce business models based on resale, refurbishment and more. Register for this free webcast at 1 p.m. EST March 24.  

Reliable power and water in mission-critical facilities. Managers of industrial operations face unique challenges in managing water conservation and energy efficiency. This free webcast will offer insights on how technology can streamline diagnostics and remediation. Sign up for the free discussion at 1 p.m. EST March 31.

30 Under 30 nominations are open! We are seeking nominations to recognize the next generation of sustainable business leaders as part of GreenBiz's fifth 30 Under 30 feature. Nominate yourself or another individual using this form. Nominees must not have reached their 30th birthday before June 22, when we’ll publish this year’s list.

The State of Green Business 2020. Our 13th annual analysis of key metrics and trends for the year ahead published here.

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