Amongst a backdrop of global economic uncertainty and most CEOs expecting a bleak economic outlook for 2023 from PwC’s recent Global Survey we have sensed a feeling of cautious optimism from our Abundium multinational and NFP leadership community as we’ve started 2023.  

One of our key focus areas for the year ahead is helping restore our planet in line with our quadruple bottom line strategy (purpose, people, profit & planet). A leading component of this is helping accelerate the transition to net zero. As one of our community members shared, we need to ‘push the ambition in the ANZ region and go beyond our global HQ targets, we cannot sit at the desk and do this alone.’  

To bring this to life we have created a series of Abundium Leapfrog Initiatives to support a community of trailblazing ANZ multinational leaders to drive bold and ambitious action in the region. Some of the projects we’re kickstarted include:  

• virtual meetups to help foster peer connections and information sharing,  
• a sustainability short course with UTS and,  
• collective strategic sustainability projects.  

We are on a mission to drive sustainability at scale! 

We know that technology will play a key role in achieving these lofty goals. To this end we’re curious about current solutions and emerging technologies that exist in other markets. We also want to help create space for new ones to emerge in this region.  

Following a crowdsourcing request into Peter Diamandis’s Abundance 360 digital community, I recently connected with Rohan Aurora who is based in Vancouver, Canada.  

He shared “In North America, I have noticed that execs in Fortune 500 companies are taking advantage of opportunities related to carbon accounting and ESG guidance. Some strategies that they are employing include: 

• Using AI and machine learning to optimize supply chains, logistics, and energy usage in order to reduce their carbon footprint. 
• My friends from infra, healthcare, and commodity space talk about dual sourcing, expanding the backup, nearshoring, and various ways to monitor supply chain disruption. McKinsey has excellent whitepapers on it. 
• Implementing blockchain technology to track and report their ESG performance, as well as to prevent the "double-spending" of carbon credits. Datamaran is one of the first ESG-tech platforms for blue-chip companies. 

• Exploring the use of deep tech, such as quantum computing, to discover new materials that have a lower environmental impact (e.g. IBM, Ford, and Daimler). Peter talks about it regularly.  
• Adopting 3D printing technology to produce products on demand, rather than manufacturing them in bulk in China, can reduce energy and transportation-related emissions.” 

It's encouraging to learn through our peer to peer Leapfrog connects about the practical applications of AI as a force for good to help embrace circularity and the benefits of a system thinking approach to current issues such as water management. It’s great to have pioneering examples in our community, like Unilever using satellite imaging and AI technology to better understand areas at risk of deforestation. 

I’ve also been following Exponential View by Azeem Azhar, a weekly analysis of the near future of technology, political economy, startups & innovation, to help me upskill my understanding of this area. I’d recommend the Jan 10 edition on ‘Scaling Climate Technologies'. Azeem states that technology transitions require capital and that permitting, policy and regulation can get in the way. 

“the dynamics of exponential technologies that are ultimately favourable. The exponential cost declines that we witnessed in solar photovoltaics, lithium-ion batteries and other technologies make these technologies affordable, often cheaper than fossil alternatives.”   

Looking at our new Albanese Government here in Australia, I’m encouraged to learn about their mission to put legislations in place to help decarbonise our economy and become a renewable energy superpower. 
 
Sharing learning and networks across the globe is key to a successful transition. Just this month during our monthly Climate Warrior virtual meetup, a story was shared about a local leader from the Sunshine Coast who is relocating to Stanford to take a new eco-preneurship position in Stanford’s new school of sustainability. It’s the first new school in 70 years to help accelerate solutions to global climate crisis! A great example of being brave and chasing your dreams.  
 
We’re on a mission to share what you’re seeing and hearing with a community that wants to lead the charge and #bethechange. I’m looking forward to come back monthly to share the journey with you including learning, insights and developments on projects to help inspire others.  

next steps 

A few ways you can help drive some positive action in the region: 

• Use abundant thinking for transformation - Join the inaugural cohort of our new Abundium and UTS short course (starting 16 Feb 2023) using abundant thinking to create a strategic action plan for your organisation. We also have a limited number of special NFP rates available. Please message me if you’d like to learn more. 
• Start your B Corp certification journey - The B Impact Assessment (BIA) is a free impact measurement and management tool which you can use to start the journey 'become like B Corps'.  
• Make the switch to renewable energy – Check out Greenpeace’s Reenergise campaign, the WWF AU’s ‘Renewable Nation’ and Schneider Electric’s great work supporting multinationals in this space. 

Let’s lean into this critical decade of action and help bring COP29 to our Aussie shores 😊