Future Leaders Building a Sustainable & Equitable World
Council Fire’s inaugural Future Leaders Program cohort: Cari Davis, Jacob Rosenzweig-Stein, and Zoë Davis.
It’s “Now or Never” in the Effort to Create a Sustainable Future
The last few years have been undeniably challenging. Fortunately, the world is slowly awakening to the realities that sustainability, justice, and equity have to be central tenants to a viable future for life on earth. Encouragingly, the interest in sustainability has never been stronger. 93% of the world’s 250 largest companies report on sustainability (UN Sustainable Development Goals Report),72% of consumers say sustainability is a very or somewhat important purchase consideration (Food Business News), and 62% of personal investors are taking sustainability into account in their portfolios (IBM Institute for Business Value). And yet, these and other trends are insufficient to meet the challenges in the shrinking time period in which we must act.
Further complicating matters is the fact that there are historically high barriers to entry into the sustainability profession. The latest UN report has concluded that it is “now or never” to reduce global warming so we must urgently recruit and train the future leaders of the movement. Equally as important, many of those leaders must come from communities most intensely impacted by climate change and a lack of justice and equity. A failure to do so will only exacerbate inequities.
Council Fire has established its Future Leaders Program (FLP) in direct response to these realities. The FLP is an avenue for young professionals to establish a career in an industry which is typically populated by senior-level professionals with prestigious, high-level degrees, specializing in niche topics. This fellowship program is designed to increase diversity in the sustainability field and welcome new talent and fresh approaches to tackle the critical issues we face as a global community.
“We are in a race against time to make dramatic societal shifts in environmental, social, and governance behavior and performance. In our small way, we’re creating a pipeline for people from all walks of life and experiences to devote their careers to this critically important work. It’s ‘all hands on deck’ – we need to inspire as many people as possible to work in the sustainability field,” said George Chmael II, Council Fire’s Founder and CEO.
Launched in September, 2022, the FLP is quickly catching fire. Competitive, flexible, financially-rewarding, and fully remote, the FLP offers hands-on practical experience with client projects, mentorship with staff, industry content exposure, and networking with Council Fire’s team of world-class experts. Our first cohort is on board and already making a difference on behalf of Council Fire’s visionary clients.
“With dedicated effort, we believe our FLP will serve as a vital springboard for participants launching their sustainability careers in the private sector, government, and nonprofits, and helping to ensure that we have the talent and the right people tackling these local, regional and global challenges,” commented Holly Fowler, Council Fire’s Client Services Manager. “We’re extremely pleased that regional and national attention for the program has already generated a strong field of applications and, with a rolling admissions cycle, we are encouraging early-stage career professionals, professionals transitioning into the sustainability field, and graduate students with an interest in sustainability to apply.”