𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀' 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘅 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗬𝗖 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸

Pictures from some of the Responsible Alpha bilateral meetings during NYC Climate Week 2025 with aligned organizations.

After meeting with executives from corporations in the S&P 500 and NGOs, and moderating and speaking at many events at NYC Climate Week with more than 2 decades of leadership experience in the sector leading many global initiatives from behind-the-scenes, here are my observations:

• 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗢𝗜: All that matters is making the business case and ROI which change agents lack the fundamental ability to communicate.

• 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝘁: Leaders want to act and "do sustainability". They do not need morale persuasion. They want step-by-step action plan, e.g., if we do ABC, we clean up this waterway, which results in this ROI. 

• 𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Leaders do not want to "talk, they want to act". Leaders are immune to shame-and-blame. They are tired of talking.

• 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀: Leaders are confused. They do not understand the scientific differences between ESG metrics, scores, ranking and pillars; SDG goals, targets, and indicators; and climate transition risk and opportunities metrics. 

• 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Everyone wants to tell each other what to do as we address complex systems' change, yet the operating principles of humility, listening, learning, gratitude, collaboration, and curiosity are not understood as core drivers of success. 

• 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆: Many organizations are missing institutional memory. Most ideas have been tried before. But most lack this knowledge. Old is new again.

• 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁: Leaders need to invest in the change they want as innovation driven by failure and success will transition our economy to a net-positive economy.

I left more hopeful than I expected, yet am also struck by organizations wanting to deploy 19th century linear thinking to solve 21st century systemic complex problems.