Sophie Lambin, founder and CEO of research and strategic communications agency Kite Insights, is driven to fight the climate change. Tell us what you do and why you’re passionate about it.
“As in all good stories, if you go back to the beginning, I have always had a vocation to do something with a positive impact on the people around me. As I grew up, that motivation expanded to the world itself, in full recognition that individual actions, however small, add up to bigger ones.”
“I come from a very academic family, relying on research, thoughtful content, and evidence-based insight. My passion for content and having an impact on real-life problems has driven me throughout.”
“When I started Kite Insights nine years ago, I had already been working on climate change, and on the role of the private sector in tackling it. It is only more recently that people have realized that it is as urgent a problem as the science suggests. Twenty years ago, I was already aware, often characterized at dinner parties as Sophie the Doomsayer, talking about climate as the most urgent issue of our time, and it is!”
“Now, I have a sense of excitement that there’s mainstream recognition, combined however with deep (eco)anxiety. This theme has driven me throughout as I’ve recognized I could act on it in a work context.”
Why did you recognize the importance of environmental issues so early?
“It’s linked to my family’s scientific and academic background. We have been talking about this for a long time. The science community has known the gravity of the situation for much longer than the general public. I distinctly remember my brother many years ago saying, ‘We are cooked’ and thinking, “Really? Surely there’s something that can be done. We need to mobilize ourselves.”
“And, for me, the question has always been: how can I play my part, however small; how can I have the most impact? From within a large organization or from the outside? Corporations offer scale and resources, but there is often inertia that slows you down. On the outside, there are no constraints and limits, but you are reliant on corporates buying your services. I’ve shifted to where I could have the most impact and when I left PwC, having been the global head of thought leadership for eight years, it was a clear decision to influence from the outside while capitalizing on the deep network and knowledge I had acquired from being on the inside.”
“I went from influencer to disrupter. On the outside, you can be more provocative and thought-provoking, and really instil a sense of confidence in people who are in positions where they are able to make a difference.”
What is the Kite Insights mission?
“At Kite we support thoughtful action on the issues that matter. We have a commitment to impact, but also to that impact being grounded in insights, in a deep understanding of the forces at play. Those issues that matter inherently are complex and systemic. For companies to really take thoughtful action, they need to understand the perspective of different stakeholders. They can’t just come with their own commercial and brand considerations.”
“For us, it’s really about equipping the organization with the knowledge and the outside perspective so they can do what they do best, which is deploy solutions at scale with the resources to do so. But it’s also so they have the confidence to influence externally, and that’s where thought leadership comes in. It’s about positioning yourself not on what you sell but on what you think. The expectation for companies and leaders to take a stance and to do something about those issues has never been stronger.”
“Colin Mayer CBE, at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, explains it very well: ’The purpose of business is really to deploy profitable projects to solve societal issues rather than gain profits at the expense of society and the environment.’ That’s where businesses are such a force for good or have the potential to be a force for good.”
“My key motivation is to use my background in research to support companies in that way. But what drives me above everything is the prospect of building a team of inspired people to mobilize others and build momentum around our collective ability to deliver change. I’m a passionate mountaineer and the energy that I often call upon, when I see a mountain, is that I think there’s no way I’ll ever get to the summit – it’s just impossible – but, step by step, I always get there.”
“So, this sense of not being intimidated by those seemingly insurmountable challenges and issues, and just going at it with a deep sense of purpose and an amazing team equipped with great insights, has really inspired me.”
What role does The Climate School play?
“Initially, it was about helping the chief sustainability or corporate social responsibility officer to establish themselves, identify the issues that matter, get the content, the confidence, the mandate they need. Now they are all moving into implementation mode: they have the mandate, resource, and strategy, and now it’s about how we mobilize ourselves and our employees as a team to do it.”
“That’s what The Climate School is about: building capacity, giving employees the path to action based on knowledge. It’s an evolution for our business, in line with how our clients’ roles are evolving.”
“While it’s not enough, it’s a prerequisite for people to really understand the facts and to be able not only to understand them, but also to use them to counter scepticism. I think the climate-sceptic species is rapidly becoming extinct, but there’s still quite a few out there because people resist change. They don’t like the idea that their life will be disrupted.”
“Once you fully understand the facts, you can go in a number of different directions: depression or denial – putting your head in the sand. It’s hard for people to connect with those facts and their implication on an emotional level. It’s a very strong feeling, but it needs to be acknowledged, dealt with and coped with. Some people find solace in rebellion and action, but I think that emotional connection is really important because it deepens your commitment to action.”
“The uncompromising stance of people like Greta has been so refreshing and critical. For businesses that have made compromises for so many years, to have someone of that age and charisma to say that’s not good enough has been a real trigger.”
Sophie Lambin
“The third step is then to give people the mandate to act and the tools, the resources, the possibilities for action. If you build knowledge, open your heart to the reality, then you really need to give people the means for action. That’s a framework we use at The Climate School: the head, the heart, the hands. It’s how we assess an organization and its readiness to take action. To understand where they stand on the knowledge, the right motivation, and this sense of agency. Then we equip them with the experiences, content, and tools so they can mobilize collectively.”
“A lot of it is analogous to the kind of transformation companies went through in the age of digitization, because it affects every aspect of the business. We refer to it as ‘the climate transformation’ because every aspect of the business is affected. It’s not just about setting a target, it’s more existential. To really create the conditions for action, we need to take a very holistic approach and create a sense of excitement – it’s a privilege to live in a time when action can truly have an impact for future generations. I want to create a sense of possibility for innovation, new products, new ways to do things, and to have a healthy lifestyle.”
“It’s not just about sacrifices. It’s also about exciting people about the possibility that, as a team, we can get together and find new solutions.”
Do you think that organizations can achieve transformational change on an issue as big as climate change?
“Yes. It’s a matter of survival, and I think organizations are realizing that. Luckily, I think there is a convergence at play that will force transformation.”
“There are investors increasingly demanding it in terms of commitment to net zero – corporate responses to the climate crisis are a predictor of performance and long-term success – and employees are expecting it. We conducted a survey of employees across all levels of seniority, education, and gender this summer, and 76% said they are ready to take action on climate in the context of their work. We have seen some companies’ employees walking out, saying not enough is being done. There is a huge play afoot in terms of attracting and retaining talent. And there’s pressure from customers. Increasingly, consumers are going to make decisions and choose brands that stand for sustainability and the responsible use of resources. If you’re in a supply chain, your clients will ask you to showcase what you do in sustainability terms. There’s an increasing sense of urgency. The clock is ticking. We have less than ten years to act.”
“It’s complex but I think companies have to take responsibility. The question for me is: how many will realize the scale of the transformation that it calls for? It’s for the entire supply chain and value chain. That’s why we focus on employees so much. The minute you talk about transformation, you need to mobilize employees.”
“That’s where the analogy with digital transformation for us is so strong. It will just have to happen faster; access to the content needs to be dramatically democratized, accelerated, and the mandate given to employees needs to be very, very clear.”
Are you finding that more organizations and their employees are ready to take action now?
“Very much so. There are thousands of companies that have signed up to a net-zero commitment and are reporting, so there is already an indication of that growing. But I think that, between the commitment to act and the action, there’s a gap. The most advanced companies are committed to engaging with employees and equipping them with knowledge and resources. That’s really the gap where we think we can accelerate the translation of that commitment into action.”
“But there is huge momentum. There are lots of coalitions getting together: the climate pledge, which is being led by Amazon, has hundreds of companies committing to 2040. There’s BSR’s Transform to Net Zero coalition, with companies like Microsoft, Nike, and Starbucks committing to transform their entire value chain. The concept of climate transformation is increasingly understood.”
How do companies respond to The Climate School?
“People have said it addresses a pain point for them. We recognize that, while the whole executive education offering has continued to serve a very good purpose for the ExCo and board members, we need a different modus operandi to bring training and education within the flow of work for employees.”
“It’s not practical to take employees out of their organization and then bring them back. It’s about employees working together within their roles, in their teams, across departments to change how they operate, how to procure a supplier, how to deploy resources for innovation, the kind of talent that you recruit, the kind of communication that you have when you market yourself.”
“Organizations don’t necessarily have the subject-matter expertise on this topic. It’s a topic that is constantly evolving, so to be able to have a one-stop-shop where they can access the content, the modules, the expertise they can deploy as part of their climate strategy is hugely helpful.”
“We’ve worked with a lot of those companies as content providers and capacity builders on the issues, overlaying that with ‘how do we repurpose this content into training material in a way that is relevant?’”
“It’s not just ‘let’s understand the climate issue,’ which is very important, but ‘how do I relate it to my role, to my industry, to the geographies in which I operate?’ It’s about understanding the implications at every level, regional and industry, and making our training very actionable, and creating the conditions for teams to work together and innovate so that employees have the means to do what they do best.”
You’ve been producing thought leadership throughout your career. What can it achieve?
“That’s a great question! For me, thought leadership is about companies committing to a position on social and environmental issues and to then do something about them. It’s like a statement of purpose; it’s a statement of their belief, which is increasingly expected of companies, in particular as they state their ambition ‘to do well by doing good.’ Companies know they can’t just be for profit irrespective of the impact they’re having on society. So we help them ‘do good, well,’ as it is not without difficulties and challenges to ‘do good’ and it calls for a nuanced understanding of the issues and implications for an intervention by a private sector player.”
“So, thought leadership is very important in that it forces a company to think about the issues that matter to it as an organization, within its industry, and, importantly, to its stakeholders, clients, employees, peers, and society at large.”
“Thought leadership done well is grounded in evidence. It’s not about promoting yourself as a brand. It’s really bringing a depth of understanding to the inherent complexity of the issues, that’s why the fact that it is evidence- and research-based is critical. It’s also tapping into the immense expertise of the people in the business that is usually directed towards products, services, and client relationships.”
“We spend a lot of time tapping into that genius and then we use the combination of that and our own research to inform the debate. It’s not about adding to all the noise, it’s about adding to the debate.”
“I’ll give you an example of what powerful thought leadership can achieve in the real world. We conducted research for the L’Oréal Foundation into the challenges faced by women working in science. Through three separate studies, which involved online surveys and interviews with stakeholders, we explored how this issue has progressed and what challenges continue to be prevalent. These findings informed a series of workshops that we ran with the L’Oréal Foundation for senior male leaders at major French academic institutions – several of which signed charters committing themselves to ambitious gender-based action as a result.”
Over the past couple of years, teenagers like Greta Thunberg have become hugely influential. What does that mean as these youngsters come into the workforce?
“The uncompromising stance of people like Greta has been so refreshing and critical. For businesses that have made compromises for so many years, to have someone of that age and charisma to say that’s not good enough has been a real trigger.”
“I don’t think eco-anxiety is the monopoly of youth, however, even though it’s prevalent among young people. Across all the age ranges of employees who took part in our survey, the motivation to act was similar. I think Greta has really contributed to shifting the needle, but I think the desire to act is widespread these days. We’ve noticed a lot of employees getting together in companies ready to be activated towards climate action. In our survey, one in 10 employees told us that they will consider changing jobs if they can’t take action around climate in the context of their work. This is serious.”
“I see my children coming into the workplace with that understanding already. We’re not going to have to train them about the issues; they will be coming into companies expecting that the transformation has happened. As a company, you want every employee to have that level of understanding and to be able to tap into their ingenuity and find the solutions and innovation to do things differently.”