Business & Society

“I grew up in a pretty unstable time in the 1960s, in the United States. Right now, what's going on in the world is probably even more threatening because of whatever the normal stuff that happens in politics, you've got climate change kind of riding over the top of that. Young people, especially, I think, are very anxious about what the future looks like.”Today on Business and Society, Bruce Piasecki and I are joined by Ed Saltzberg, Executive Director of the Security and Sustainability Forum, an organization he founded in 2009 to bring global experts together for free, accessible conversations on climate, energy, and community resilience. SSF has now produced more than 400 webinars used by educators, professionals, and students worldwide to stay informed on the evolving challenges shaping our environmental and social future. Ed’s work extends far beyond SSF. Through his Substack, The Stability Brief, and his collaborations with Native American tribes on long-term energy and resilience planning, he weaves together science, civic responsibility, and lived experience. His perspective is grounded in a lifetime of public service—and even a formative 1966 road trip that shaped how he sees a changing planet. Today, we’ll explore what he’s learned, what concerns him, and what practical steps communities can take to build a more stable, sustainable future.Episode WebsiteSeason 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

“Poetry is the prince of the literary arts to me. It's at the very top because it's language refined to its apex of memorability. I am interested in poetry as memorability and poetry as something you live by. These are the words you live by. These words stay in your brain and guide your life. That's what I am interested in. My memoir slash autofiction is called Borges and Me, and as you know, it's a story of my time in 1970 when my best friend Billy was drafted for the Vietnam War, and so was I. He went to Vietnam, and I went to Scotland to hide out and do my graduate work. I spent nearly seven years in Scotland, but I certainly spent the next five years definitely in Scotland. I was there before as an undergraduate for a bit, too. During that time, Billy was killed in Vietnam, and I was a nervous wreck. My memoir talks about my depression, my anxieties, and then, through my friend Alastair Reid, I met Borges, the great Argentine writer. We went on a little road trip through the Highlands, and this conversation with Borges really restored me back to myself and what was important in life. I felt that I owed a huge amount to that contact with Borges… I was lucky that suddenly, out of nowhere, came a wonderful director-producer named Mark Turtletaub. He had read my book and loved it, and he approached me. We had a conversation, and he said, ‘Look, I want to make this movie.’ So off we went.”It’s a real pleasure today to welcome a writer whose voice has been a guiding force in American letters for decades. Jay Pariniis the author of acclaimed biographies of literary giants like John Steinbeck, Robert Frost, William Faulkner, and Gore Vidal—as well as an illuminating portrait of Jesus in The Human Face of God. He’s also a celebrated poet, novelist, essayist, and teacher whose work reflects a lifelong devotion to the arts, the humanities, and the power of language to tell the truth, gently. From his poetry to his prose, Jay's writing brings rare insight and deep compassion to the page. He doesn’t just study his subjects—he inhabits them, helps us hear their voices, and see the world through their eyes. And of course, he’s one of the few people who can say they've gotten into the heads of both Jesus and Gore Vidal...and lived to tell the tale.Episode WebsiteSeason 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

“In an age of seeming isolationism, where some countries tend to isolate, this is such a great way to bring people together. When you're doing music and the arts, all those barriers just fall away. People are just collaborating and having fun. It’s such a bridge-building endeavor. I don't mean that to sound cheesy either, because I just think it is really amazing. They end up being ambassadors who go back to their own country and say, “Wow, I had a great time at this festival in America or in the Netherlands.” It ends up being one more step in our way, with our organization, of trying to connect people together in an age when so many people seem to want to hide out and not connect. We’re big advocates of connecting, and that’s another great reason why I think we love to do this. too.”Today’s guests are composer Robert Paterson and violinist Victoria Paterson, the visionary duo behind Mostly Modern Festival & Projects, an organization dedicated to celebrating music by living composers through performance, education, and community outreach.Robert’s work is known for its rhythmic energy, emotional range, and inventive themes—from environmentalism and mythology to technology and modern relationships. Based in Saratoga Springs and NYC, he’s been recognized with numerous honors, including the Classical Recording Foundation’s Composer of the Year at Carnegie Hall and a Grammy® for Three Way. His music is performed by major orchestras and ensembles across the globe and regularly featured on NPR. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Mostly Modern Festival, which takes place in both Saratoga Springs and the Netherlands.Victoria has built a multifaceted career across classical, Broadway, and commercial music, performing everywhere from Carnegie Hall to The Today Show. As General Director of Mostly Modern Projects, she leads year-round programming that brings music into hospitals, public parks, and senior centers, while also mentoring emerging artists across the country.Episode WebsiteSeason 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

How can we meet the Paris Climate Accords through Environmental Credit Solutions?Bill Flederbach is the President & CEO of ClimeCo and is a respected leader in the global environmental commodities market. Following his favorite motto, “To make a difference each day and always do the next right thing,” Bill has created scalable Greenhouse Gas reduction efforts while creating a work culture at ClimeCo that nurtures creativity and empowers his team to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit.Today, ClimeCo operates at the forefront of an exciting transformation as global businesses, governments, and environmental advocates recognize that market-based solutions are the most efficient way to address environmental challenges. Through his leadership, ClimeCo is well known for its technical role in developing a diverse portfolio of environmental credits and for providing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) solutions for clients navigating a path to a more sustainable future. He is passionate about supporting clients’ success while encouraging new practices and technologies that will benefit all.Insights for ImpactEpisode WebsiteSeason 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

Gordon Lambert shares insights from his decades-long journey, addressing his roles, strategies, and contributions to environmental change and corporate evolution.Lambert has been engaged in business and sustainability in the energy sector for 40 years. In 2015, Lambert was appointed by the Premier and Cabinet to the five-person panel that designed the Alberta Climate Leadership Plan. In 2016, he chaired the Alberta Climate Leadership Technology and Innovation Task Force, with $1.4 billion in carbon levy revenue being committed to innovation as an outcome. He also serves on the Export Development Canada CSR advisory council and as the Suncor Energy and Sustainability Executive in Residence at the Ivey Business School.“The number one most powerful place to intervene in a system is mindsets. Collaboration is a joint effort to achieve common goals. That's needed more than ever in this world we are in, with these large, significant problems that no one entity can solve on their own. But it's a higher bar than cooperation. I term cooperation or define it as the pursuit of individual interests jointly. You can feel the difference between collaboration, where everyone has skin in the game, there are no free riders, and everyone's pulling on the oars together.”Season 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

How did a century-old power company become a leader in renewable energy? How can industrial giants adapt to cleaner power? What role are women leaders and community initiatives playing in the renewable energy transition?Julie Pierce stands as a beacon of innovation and foresight in the energy sector. As Vice President of Strategy and Planning for Minnesota Power, a part of the Allete family, she’s helping transform the landscape of renewable energy with a focus on sustainable development and community collaboration."Minnesota Power and its customers in Northeast Minnesota made the decision about a decade ago to start moving in this direction. We wanted to ensure that we took the right time, pace, and path that was thoughtful for our customers and communities to transform. Through the past decade of hard work with our communities and customers, and leveraging new technology in wind, solar, and hydro, we transformed from a 95% fossil-fuel-based portfolio to 50-60% clean energy. Essentially, in the last decade, we've worked to reduce our carbon emissions by half and increase our renewable energy production by 50-60%. It has been a very exciting time. We had over 50% of our board members as women for well over a decade. So we started at the top and then with our leadership teams. The promotion of a diverse, collaborative discussion on any topic within our organization has been paramount."Season 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

Gordon Lambert shares insights from his decades-long journey, addressing his roles, strategies, and contributions to environmental change and corporate evolution.Lambert has been engaged in business and sustainability in the energy sector for 40 years. In 2015, Lambert was appointed by the Premier and Cabinet to the five-person panel that designed the Alberta Climate Leadership Plan. In 2016, he chaired the Alberta Climate Leadership Technology and Innovation Task Force, with $1.4 billion in carbon levy revenue being committed to innovation as an outcome. He also serves on the Export Development Canada CSR advisory council and as the Suncor Energy and Sustainability Executive in Residence at the Ivey Business School.From November 2018 to April 2020, he served as the interim CEO of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). For 17 years, he led Suncor Energy’s sustainability strategy, innovation, and embedding efforts, retiring in January 2015. He played a key role in the design and creation of Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), involving a globally unique collaboration model, that has resulted in the sharing of $1.3 billion worth of intellectual property to accelerate environmental performance improvement.Season 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

How can cultivating curiosity within an organization transform it from a place of work into a community driven by passion and purpose? Why is wetland conservation crucial for combating climate change, and how can public-private partnerships make a difference? What are the keys to maintaining operational excellence and how can we pursue excellence in our personal and professional lives?Sam Smolik retired as Senior Vice President, Americas Manufacturing for LyondellBasell Industries in 2017. He previously served as Global Vice President for Environment, Health, and Safety for LyondellBasell, Shell, and The Dow Chemical Company. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Axalta Coating Systems, FlyGuys, and Ducks Unlimited Inc. He also serves on the Engineering Advisory Board at The University of Texas at Austin.Sam authored The Power of Goal ZEROand The Daily Pursuit of Excellenceto share the many proven performance improvement concepts that he and his colleagues developed and perfected throughout a 50 year global career. His focus is on leadership, people development, culture, operational excellence, management systems, ESG, sustainable development, and achieving superior performance in organizations.Sam Smolik graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in Houston, Texas.Season 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

"What happens is that companies get complacent. Things go well for a long time. All publicly traded companies are under tremendous financial pressure. Everyone's looking at quarterly earnings and all that, and they take their eye off of safety and operational excellence. And you can't do that."Sam Smolik retired as Senior Vice President, Americas Manufacturing for LyondellBasell Industries in 2017. He previously served as Global Vice President for Environment, Health, and Safety for LyondellBasell, Shell, and The Dow Chemical Company. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Axalta Coating Systems, FlyGuys, and Ducks Unlimited Inc. He also serves on the Engineering Advisory Board at The University of Texas at Austin.Sam authored The Power of Goal ZEROand The Daily Pursuit of Excellenceto share the many proven performance improvement concepts that he and his colleagues developed and perfected throughout a 50 year global career. His focus is on leadership, people development, culture, operational excellence, management systems, ESG, sustainable development, and achieving superior performance in organizations.Sam Smolik graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in Houston, Texas.Season 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

“Oil and gas companies, along with any company engaged in the production and burning of fossil fuels, must cease these activities if we are to have any hope of reaching net zero by 2050, which is only 26 years away. The pace of change needs to be extremely rapid. Currently, the world is emitting about 55 gigatons of CO₂ equivalent, with 70% of this coming from fossil fuels, which provide 80% of our energy. Demand for energy continues to grow due to increasing populations. However, we must bring down the 55 gigatons of emissions to net zero by 2050, even though emissions are still on the rise, albeit at a slower pace. In short, oil, gas, and coal must become relics of the past."Dominic Emery is a geologist by background. He has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and MA from the University of Oxford. He was the founding CEO of OGCI Climate Investments, a $1bn fund set up by the world’s largest oil and gas companies to invest in technologies and projects to reduce carbon emissions. He joined bp Alternative Energy in 2007 and ran Emerging Businesses & Corporate Ventures in 2012. In 2013, he was appointed Head of Group Strategy prior to his appointment as Chief of Staff in early 2020 at the start of the biggest transformation in bp’s history and was Chief of Staff at bp until 2022. Since retiring from the company, he advises on the energy transition, working with large energy companies, start-ups and consultancies. He is a Senior Fellow with the World Economic Forum, Mission Possible Partnership and Cambridge University Judge Business School, and holds board positions with three companies.Season 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki.

Jeff Olson is an American urban architect who dedicated his career to alternative  transportation, and became a founder of the largest bike share system in North America, New York City’s CitiBike. He is a co-founder of re:Charge-e and author of The 3rd Mode: Towards a Green Society. His major projects include the Grand Canyon Greenway, the Empire State Trail, the White House Millennium Trails Program, the Dubai Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan, and the NW Arkansas Razorback Greenway.https://recharge-e.com/Season 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki & Mia Funkwww.creativeprocess.info

What kind of strategic, collaborative and critical thinking skills will we need to adapt to climate change and biodiversity loss? How can we learn to cooperate and avoid the conflicts that arise from competition for resources?Robin Phillips, a retired US Army officer with a distinguished career in National Security, has extensive experience in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. She served as commander of the Virginia Defense Force's 1st Regiment and was the first female colonel in the VDF to command at the brigade or regimental level. Proficient in Russian, she holds a Master's in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School and has worked on Current and Crisis Intelligence and Strategic Plans and Policy at the Pentagon. Phillips' background in geology also informs her perspectives on environmental impact and climate change adaptation.https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-noel-phillipsSeason 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki & Mia Funkwww.creativeprocess.info

What is conscious capitalism? How can we create businesses that are more holistic and connected to the communities they serve?Dr. Larry Clay Jr. teaches business modeling. His focus is on business management research, sustainable development analytics and leadership development to create sustainable value for enterprises, communities, and cities.https://marymount.edu/academics/college-of-business-innovation-leadership-and-technology/school-of-business/school-of-business-facultyhttps://www.humanitysteam.org/masterclasses/cb-change-agent#googtrans(en)Season 3 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs, Sustainability & Environmental SolutionsBusiness & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki & Mia Funkwww.creativeprocess.info

How can we turn hope into real-world solutions to tackle the biggest challenges facing our world today? How can we bridge the gender divide and create a more fair and sustainable future for all? What steps can we take to educate and empower the next generation of leaders and change-makers?Nina Luzzatto Gardner is the director of Strategy International, a corporate sustainability advisory firm she founded in 2000. She works with companies to improve their commitment to sustainability and the SDGs, and with investors to better understand Environmental, Social & Governance risks in their portfolios. Nina has been teaching Corporate Sustainability, Business & Human Rights as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington DC since 2013. She has a BA from Harvard/Radcliffe, and a JD from Columbia Law School. She is the founding president of a number of professional women’s associations, on the advisory board of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, and Board member of AG tech start up – Farm from a Box. Nina is an Italian and US national.https://sais.jhu.edu/users/ngardne6

You’re listening to Wealth & Climate Competitiveness: The New Narrative with Bruce Piasecki and guests. This program was recorded in January 2024 at Caffe Lena.What does Robin Hood tell us about climate competitiveness? Using this 700- year-old narrative, Piasecki reminds his readers that business in society reading has been a classic concern, from Dante’s Inferno to Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of Vanities.Wealth and Climate Competitiveness, which pays homage to Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and explores the new narrative offering grounds for hope for the rest of this swift and severe century. Published by Rodin Books in a series that includes the books by Bill Bradley and Michael Bloomberg, and has also been produced as an audiobook. You can hear pre-publication podcasts on the book and Piasecki’s business career at www.newsweek.com under Jesse Edwards podcast series, in Paris under Mia Funk’s One Planet Podcast series, and in political circles at www.RepublicEN.org.First examining the 5 prejudices that have prevented both social leaders and business from making real lasting progress on the innovations required to address competition and climate, this book notes that the days of assuming all business is a set of Robber Barons and Birds of Prey has been dated by leading firms like Trane Technologies. This episode explores why these popular prejudices help us stay on the petrochemical treadmill, as well as the dynamics and results of innovative exceptions like Trane. With 50,000 engineers dedicated to competing on climate change, Trane has grown twice the rate in its stock value over the last six years than its peers in the S&P Industrial Index. Why is this?Piasecki and several dozen of his colleagues discuss competitive principles based on Piasecki’s forty years of working for a number of large and major firms as a change agent, and business founder of www.ahcgroup.com. Other facilitators to this event include Canada’s celebrated change agent Gord Lambert (who will open and close with a jazz guitar performance), and the global head of Sustainability for Herman Miller, Gabe Wing.www.wealthandclimatecompetitiveness.net

Leah Thomas is an intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator based in Southern California. She’s passionate about advocating for and exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism and was the first to define the term “Intersectional Environmentalism.” She is the founder of @greengirlleah and The Intersectional Environmentalist platform. Her articles on this topic have appeared in Vogue, Elle, The Good Trade, and Youth to the People and she has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, Domino, GOOP, Fashionista, BuzzFeed, and numerous podcasts. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Chapman University and worked for the National Park Service and Patagonia headquarters before pursuing activism full time. She lives in Carpinteria, California. She is the author of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet, and Winner of the Creative Force Foundation Award 2023."Intersectional Environmentalism to me means prioritizing social justice in environmental movements and really thinking about what communities are most impacted by different environmental injustices. So, for example, in the United States, a lot of communities of color, Black, Indigenous communities, and also lower-income communities struggle with things like unclean air and unclean water, and those are environmental injustices. So I thought it was important to have an intersectional approach to environmental advocacy that doesn't ignore these things and these intersections of identity, but explores them to make sure that every community, especially those most impacted by environmental injustices, no longer are. And I wanted to write a really accessible introduction that was targeted at school kids or anyone who wants to learn more."www.intersectionalenvironmentalist.com www.instagram.com/greengirlleah www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/leah-thomas/the-intersectional-environmentalist/9780316281935/?lens=voraciousSeason 2 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs , Sustainability & Environmental Solutions Business & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki & Mia Funkwww.oneplanetpodcast.org

Bruce Piasecki is a NYTimes bestselling author, and organizational innovator. As founder of AHC Group, Inc. a global management consulting firm advising major corporations on social response capitalism, sustainability, and innovation, he has worked for over a third of the Fortune 500 in change management, including BP, Merck, and Toyota. Piasecki has been an agent of climate solutions for over 40 years. He’s also co-founder of the Creative Force Foundation which annually awards young authors writing on business and society issues. He is the author of Doing More With Less, Doing More With One Life: A Writer’s Journey through the Past, Present, and Future, and other books.www.doingmorewithlessbook.comwww.ahcgroup.comwww.creativeprocess.info

The time to start looking into tomorrow is now.Scott Tew is the leader of the Center for Energy Efficiency & Sustainability at Trane Technologies (CEES) and is responsible for forward-looking sustainability initiatives aimed at transitioning to more efficient and climate-friendly solutions and minimizing resource use within company facilities. Trane’s smart solutions support many of the challenges businesses, buildings, and the transport sector face in the fight to decarbonize our future, which we will continue to face in the decades ahead. Scott serves as a thought leader in linking public policy, economic impacts and a value-stream approach to sustainability. His efforts have led to the development of world-class initiatives, including introduction of the company’s comprehensive 2030 Sustainability Commitments with the largest customer-facing corporate commitment to combat climate change with the Gigaton Challenge; and as a pioneer in integrated reporting.Scott holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in environmental science and ecology from Livingston University. He serves on the Advisory Council of the Corporate Eco Forum; as the board chair of the World Environment Center; and as the chair of the US Business Council for Sustainable Development (USBCSD). www.tranetechnologies.com https://blog.tranetechnologies.com/en/home/author/scott-tew.htmlSeason 2 of Business & Society focuses on Leaders, Sustainability & Environmental Solutions Business & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki & Mia Funk www.oneplanetpodcast.org

As President of Scott Meredith Literary Agency, Arthur Klebanoff has represented J.D. Salinger, Arthur C. Clark, several U.S. Presidents, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Bradley, Paul Krugman, among others, and has handled books with over $1 billion in sales. In 2001, Klebanoff founded RosettaBooks, an independent eBook publisher which for twe nty years disrupted the publishing business. Klebanoff has published, represented or packaged over 75 thought leadership titles. He founded RodinBooks to publish books by impactful leaders.www.scottmeredith.comwww.rodinbooks.comSeason 2 of Business & Society focuses on Leaders, Sustainability & Environmental Solutions Business & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki & Mia Funk www.oneplanetpodcast.org

Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver is a proud Aboriginal woman with connections to communities in southwestern New South Wales, South Australia, and beyond. She is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Strategy and Services for the University of Sydney and leads the institution's strategy to advance Indigenous participation, engagement, education, and research, including the university's One Sydney, Many People 2021-2024 strategy.She is a recognized expert and tireless advocate for health and education. Her research focuses on capacity building for healthcare workers and improved health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. She serves her country in the Royal Australian Air Force Specialist Reserve as a Group Captain and is a member of the Australian Statistical Advisory Committee, the Australian Medical Council, and the Health Performance Council of South Australia.“We come from the land, and we go back to the land. Aboriginal people have been on this land for at least 60,000 years in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth and survived. And over the last 230 years, the most catastrophic events have occurred to this land because people didn't listen to ancient Aboriginal cultures and knowledge. So my question is, if people were able to look after this place for 60,000 years and thrive, what have we done to ensure that we have a healthy fit world for the next 60,000 years?”www.sydney.edu.auSeason 2 of Business & Society focuses on Leaders, Sustainability & Environmental Solutions Business & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki & Mia Funk