Future Stewards Leading new ways to counter climate change The case for partnership & investment, 2016-2020

Purpose

Future Stewards will create the cadre of leaders we need to achieve breakthroughs in addressing climate change by 2020…

….within the timeframe that the science demands to: • Bend the curve of risk and negative impact.• Keep the world within 1.5 degrees of warming.• Protect the most vulnerable populations.

Future Stewards will 1. Multiply the impact of committed leaders working on climate change

• Personal and organizational growth to help them drive bold, effective transformation.• Cross-sector partnerships where collaboration is crucial (but not yet happening).

2. Bring new leaders into the collective effort• Helping influential business and policy leaders (not yet fully engaged) to recognize the

implications for their organizations/constituencies – and enable them to take action.• A safe entry point for them to join the global response.

3. Contribute our learning to the ‘Commons’• Our methodology, tools and outcomes for systemic transformation shared freely.• A community of skilled facilitators and project leaders to cascade new practices that

address complex systemic challenges.

4. Engage new forms of investment, patronage and support• Committed partners across sectors who wish to accelerate this work.• Enabling them to introduce new forms of leadership within their organizations.

We aim to engage 2,000+ leaders by 2020

Why this work is needed now The challenge we face is cultural, not technical

We need urgent, global collective action COPs 21&22 signalled a shift from the pursuit of a mandate to address climate change, towards fast-paced implementation at scale. Bending the curve of emissions by 2020 is the only way to keep global warming within sustainable limits, making 2020 the ‘Climate Turning Point’. This will require an exponentially greater level of co-ordinated response than we’ve seen to date.   We are struggling with complexity The climate community has yet to connect long-term impact with present-day priorities. We need to weave the science into short and mid-term business and government agendas.   We have a leadership gap We require extraordinary levels of collaboration between parties with differing priorities. This involves deeper and messier partnerships that are strong enough to execute a series of ‘moon shots’ over the next decade. Leaders will need to be courageous and open to all possibilities – even when this requires transformation of themselves and their own organizations.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” Albert Einstein

What’s required We convened events in London and New York for 100+ climate leaders in 2016. Our goal of generating energy, passion and resilience post-COP21 uncovered four key insights:  

1.  The climate community is disconnected from everyday concerns of ordinary people.

2.  Describing an achievable, sustainable future is more effective than grim predictions.

3.  Success requires unprecedented levels of vision and collaboration – but most of today’s leaders lack the necessary mindset and skills.

4.  We need to focus on transformation ‘software’: awareness of self and others, wisdom as well as intellect.

Future Stewards is our response to these insights.

Pathfinders Deep Practitioners Global Influencers

Our response

Pathfinders Aim Cultivate a network of leaders committed to the personal growth and bold action needed to fill the leadership gap and address climate change.   Who Individuals ready to forge radical partnerships, promote new ways of working, and motivate those who are skeptical or fearful about the environmental challenges ahead.    What •  Multi-location Pathfinder Quests, each for c.50 leaders (private, public and civil

society).  •  Quests (experiential learning programs) inspire learning from people doing incredible

work and forging unconventional partnerships in tough situations. •  Focus on building relationships and gaining insights across sectors. •  Support through mentorship, and foundational tools to foster innovation, cultivate

and share best practice.

Deep Practitioners Aim Enable a community of practitioners to face the challenges with hope and compassion, and shift the scale and pace of action through transformative innovation. Who Cohorts of 30 senior leaders of influential private, public and civil society organizations, who are willing to collaborate across sectors and change their own patterns of behavior. What •  3 x 3-day modules across a year-long journey of learning, developing practice, and

moving to action. •  Faculty led by futures practitioner, Bill Sharpe. •  Specialist online program between modules to support experiments and projects. •  Focus on pilot projects in 5 key areas: energy, urban systems, food and land, heavy

industry and finance.

Global Influencers Aim Grow the community of influential leaders who grasp both the scale of the challenge, and the opportunity to transform business and society. Who High profile leaders from global corporations, civil society, city, regional and national governments, who have yet to publicly commit their attention and resources (despite believing in the science). What •  Workshops and Quests to encourage meaningful engagement with the case for

change – and establish new world views. •  Exposure to on-the-ground opportunities to inspire COP21-relevant

investment and business models. For example: §  Pricing in environmental and social impact. §  Focusing on longer-term goals alongside financial returns.

Towards 2020 Climate Turning Point objectives of: Direct outcomes from Future Stewards includes:

Business leaders:

•  Commit to science-based targets for emissions reductions.

•  Move towards 100% renewable energy (operations), 100% electric vehicles

(transportation), and elimination of supply chain deforestation.

•  Vocalize their commitment to peers, suppliers and policy-makers; urge them

to join.

Policy makers:

•  Raise emissions policy ambitions at city, state and country levels.

Civil society leaders:

•  More effective pooling of resources, and cross-sector collaboration.

•  Renewable energy out-competes fossil fueled electricity (e.g.

comprises up to 30% of global electricity supply).

•  Heavy industry firms commit to being Paris-compliant (e.g. agreed

roadmaps for transition to a decarbonized economy by 2050).

•  Investment in climate action is $1 trillion+ annually

(e.g. finance institutions disclose decarbonization strategies and

climate-related risks).

•  Zero emission transport is preferred form in major cities/routes (e.g.

corporations commit to zero-emission fleets only from 2020;

manufacturers supply them).

•  Large-scale deforestation replaced with mass land restoration;

agriculture becomes earth-friendly (e.g. restore/conserve at least 15%

of degraded land).

What success looks like

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

Drawing on past experience…

US Civil Rights movement trained thousands of young people to join together in non-violent, collective action against segregation and inequality.

Apollo spaceflight program harnessed extraordinary technical expertise, political will and cross-sector collaboration – living up to US President Kennedy’s prescient words:  “…it will not be one man going to the moon…it will be an entire nation.”

Northern Ireland Peace Process came about through remarkable levels of cooperation – between governments, local politicians, paramilitaries, business leaders and a broad sweep of citizens…  

Global Influencers will create public and private opportunities for influential leaders to join the collective movement. Committed leaders will increase pressure on their peers to engage – establishing a new norm.

Pathfinders will ‘train’ climate change leaders with skills to undertake the radical collaborations required to counter climate change: humility, compassion, cooperation.

Deep Practitioners will convene senior leaders and experts to solve five of the most complex problem clusters to serve as the building blocks for the necessary 2020 Climate Change turning point (our ‘moonshot’).

Future Stewards in numbers: participants

We will reach 2000+ senior leaders around the world from business, government and civil society. •  600+ leaders and their organizations through Pathfinders Quests. •  200+ leaders and their organizations in the Deep Practitioner

community. •  200+ C suite leaders on Global Influencer Quests. •  1000+ leaders in 1-day workshops and follow up.

Drawing on past lessons

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead •  The US civil rights movement trained thousands of motivated young with

skills to escalate the collective response to a new level of non-violent, collective action.

•  The Apollo human spaceflight program combined world-class expertise across disciplines, with the engagement of influential leaders from all sectors. An unprecedented level of resources were mobilized to achieve a breakthrough that was previously unimaginable.

•  The anti-apartheid movement enlisted powerful allies – consumer groups, global businesses, intergovernmental bodies, national governments, sporting associations and academic institutions – to make public commitments and establish a new norm.

Future Stewards in numbers: financials •  Budget for activity 2016-2020 is $10m. •  $1m of this is already committed from donors (Ikea Foundation)

or as contributions from the founding Partner organizations (LQ, M2020, WMB, IFF, H3Uni).

•  We are seeking a small number of partners to support us with $9m+ funding.

March ‘16 Rockefeller Foundation funds $60,000 in scholarships for Climate Quest (London)

July ‘16 Climate Quest, London. 55 global climate leaders convene for 4-day Quest, funded by IKEA foundation ($155,000)

September ‘16 Climate Week, New York. 40 Climate Quest alumni attend 1-day workshop on climate change financing

October ‘16 WBCSD Global Conference, Chennai. 70+ global leaders attend 1-day Quest

November ‘16 BSR conference, New York. Leaders’ Quest Founder delivers keynote speech to 800 delegates

December ‘16 LQ, WMB and M2020 commit significant resource and manpower to launch Future Stewards and deliver the first wave of programs.

February ‘17 Future Stewards launch, London. Influential leaders from climate, philanthropy, the arts and business attend launch events.

March ‘17 Regenerative Economics dinner (1), New York. High-profile leaders (finance/business) explore conscious capitalism

April ‘17 Regenerative Economics dinner (2), New York

May ‘17 Pathfinders Quest, San Francisco. 60 climate leaders committed to join this 3-day Quest (fully subscribed)

May ‘17 Deep Practitioners module 1, West Virginia. 30 senior leaders have committed to year-long program (fully subscribed)

August ‘17 Pathfinders Quest, Delhi. 50 leaders expected to join this 3-day Quest

November ‘17 Deep Practitioners module 2, London, 30 senior leaders (fully subscribed)

Our growing community

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Amal-Lee Amin, Chief Climate Change/Sustainability, Inter-American Bank Amy Davidsen, Head of North America, The Climate Group Amy Luers, Dir, Climate Change, Skoll Global Threats Fund Ariane Thomas, Head of Strategic Direction Operation, L’Oreal Ben Tarbell, Energy Principal, X Bernice Lee, ED, Sustainable Resource Economy, Hoffmann Centre Brendan Guy, Manager, International Policy, NRDC Charlotte Blommestijin, COO, NRG Energy Conyers Davis, Senior Advisor, Office of Arnold Schwarzernegger Dan Lashof, COO, NextGen Climate America Danny Kennedy, MD, California Clean Energy Fund David Fenton, Chairman and Founder, Fenton Frances Way, Co-COO, CDP Gail Whiteman, Dir, Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business, Lancaster University Gideon Grinstein, President, Reut Institute Giles Bristow, Director of Programmes, Forum for the Future Guido Schmidt-Traub, ED, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Hernani Escobar Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, UNFCCC Ian de Cruz, Global Strategic Engagement Director, The New Climate Economy Jamie Henn, Strategy and Communications Director, 350.org

Jim Walker, Director, Climate Mobiliization Fund Jules Kortenhorst, CEO, Rocky Mountain Institute Kevin Moss, Global Director, Business Center, World Resources Institute Lara Birkes, CSO, Hewlett Packard Nigel Salter, Owner, Salterbaxter MSL Group Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Head of Climate and Energy, WWF Maria Mendiluce, MD of Climate and Energy, WBCSD Mark Watts, ED, C40 Cities Nimra Amjad, Program Manager, IUCN Paige Brown, Program Director, Climate and Energy Funders Group P.J. Simmons, Chair, Corporate Eco Forum Rajiv Joshi, MD, B Team Rob Cameron, ED, SustainAbility Rhian-Mari Thomas, MD, Business Transformation, Barclaycard Sheila Watson, Dep Dir, Dir of Environment and Research, FIA Foundation Sonia Medina – ED, Climate Change, CIFF Thomas Lingard, VP Global Policy and Advocacy, Unilever Tzeporah Berman, Grant Advisor, New Venture Fund Virginie Helias, VP Global Sustainability, Procter & Gamble Wael Hmaidan, Director, Climate Action Network International

Sample list of participants on Pathfinders and Deep Practitioners Programs (2017)

Partners

We Mean Business is a coalition of organizations working with influential businesses and investors to transition to a low carbon economy. This common platform formed with partners – Business for Social Responsibility, the B Team, CDP, Ceres, the Climate Group, The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development – seeks to catalyze bold climate action by all.

Mission 2020, under the leadership of Christiana Figueres, brings together institutions, governments, the private sector, thought leaders and civil society to reach the Climate Turning Point by 2020. It works through a global network of leaders and policy influencers to create the conditions for change and deliver breakthrough solutions in targeted areas.

Leaders’ Quest is a worldwide network of facilitators, advisors and mentors, with a mission to help leaders across sectors and countries find their inspiration in building a more sustainable, inclusive world. Clients and partners include companies at the forefront of technology, consumer goods, media, financial and professional services, as well as global NGOs.

Partners

H3Uni, a spinout from IFF, is an educational enterprise that empowers people with the skills and experience necessary to foster transformative innovation in their communities and organizations. It offers collaborative practices that support new ways of thinking and acting together – locally, globally, and all points in between.

International Futures Forum (IFF) fosters practical hope and wise initiative in powerful times. It works with governments, communities, businesses and foundations to develop 21st century competencies and to support the capacity for transformative innovation.

Selection of photography courtesy of Marcus Lyon and Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

Want to get involved?

We’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch: simon.hampel@ledersquest.org lisa.smith@leadersquest.org lindsay.levin@leadersquest.org www.leadersquest.org/future-stewards

Lisa.smith@leadersquest.org