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#4 | Engineering an Impact | Handprint’s Dr Simon Schillebeeckx
Here’s something that we all have in common:
You, me, communities, organisations, businesses, everyone… we all have an environmental footprint. And that can be measured through the resources we consume, the products we buy (or sell), transportation choices, carbon emissions and the lifestyles we live.
The current narrative is that we should work to offset that footprint in order to meet our environmental goals and help avoid human-made climate change. But what if there was a better way to solve these issues?
How can we shift our mindset to stop focusing on the negative, and start building positive, credible change? Not just in the short term, but how do you go about sustaining a sustainable impact?
Hello! I’m Russell Baker, the founder and editor of AMR, and this is New Ways, a show that explores solutions at the intersection of health, technology and sustainability.
Today I’m joined by Dr Simon Schillebeeckx, a published author, professor of strategy & entrepreneurship at SMU and co-founder of
Handprint – a tech company with a difference. Unlike others in the sustainability space, the company’s unique impact platform helps businesses not only achieve their social and environmental targets, but also participate in the ‘regenerative economy’.
Simon talked to me about how Handprint is trying to help other companies radically rethink their approach to sustainability and environmental responsibility. See, for many, the current approach is to equate their responsibility based on the negative impact they have on the planet, trying to offset or reduce their harmful ways. But, as we discuss, it’s a noble yet very limited view of things. And the old ways of thinking about and reporting on sustainability also aren’t working – people have enough anxiety in their lives without adding climate angst into the mix. Sure, pandering to negative emotions and producing fear-based news will work in the short-term, but that’s no way to create sustained action over time.
What I really appreciated about this conversation was the fresh approach Simon presented, and the sparks truly began to fly as he
detailed how flexible the technology was, all the ways people and businesses could help create positive change. A lot of what we talk about in this episode relates to engineering, but not just in the software sense… it’s also about engineering behavioural changes, shifting mindsets and reducing anxiety about what’s wrong with the world… instead choosing to focus on what is truly within our power and recognising we can actually do to make things better.
It’s a new way of thinking about affecting positive impact at scale – something that is very on brand for this show!
We also get into the current state of the climate, why we should be cautiously optimistic about that, what’s going well, what isn’t, and
where things might be headed in the future. And what it’s going to take to get us on the right track.
It all comes down to scaling individual impact and focusing on our Handprint, rather than just our footprint.
---
Transcript:
https://amodernremedy.com/engineering-impact-an-interview-with-handprints-dr-simon-schillebeeckx
For the latest insights and analysis on health, tech and sustainability, visit https://amodernremedy.com
Connect with us:
Handprint / Dr Simon Schillebeeckx:
Credits:
New Ways is a production of A Modern Remedy.
This episode was produced by Russell Baker, with music by Simon Zinzovski.
See our Privacy Policy at https://amodernremedy.com/privacy-policy
View all episodes
By Good Gosh MediaHere’s something that we all have in common:
You, me, communities, organisations, businesses, everyone… we all have an environmental footprint. And that can be measured through the resources we consume, the products we buy (or sell), transportation choices, carbon emissions and the lifestyles we live.
The current narrative is that we should work to offset that footprint in order to meet our environmental goals and help avoid human-made climate change. But what if there was a better way to solve these issues?
How can we shift our mindset to stop focusing on the negative, and start building positive, credible change? Not just in the short term, but how do you go about sustaining a sustainable impact?
Hello! I’m Russell Baker, the founder and editor of AMR, and this is New Ways, a show that explores solutions at the intersection of health, technology and sustainability.
Today I’m joined by Dr Simon Schillebeeckx, a published author, professor of strategy & entrepreneurship at SMU and co-founder of
Handprint – a tech company with a difference. Unlike others in the sustainability space, the company’s unique impact platform helps businesses not only achieve their social and environmental targets, but also participate in the ‘regenerative economy’.
Simon talked to me about how Handprint is trying to help other companies radically rethink their approach to sustainability and environmental responsibility. See, for many, the current approach is to equate their responsibility based on the negative impact they have on the planet, trying to offset or reduce their harmful ways. But, as we discuss, it’s a noble yet very limited view of things. And the old ways of thinking about and reporting on sustainability also aren’t working – people have enough anxiety in their lives without adding climate angst into the mix. Sure, pandering to negative emotions and producing fear-based news will work in the short-term, but that’s no way to create sustained action over time.
What I really appreciated about this conversation was the fresh approach Simon presented, and the sparks truly began to fly as he
detailed how flexible the technology was, all the ways people and businesses could help create positive change. A lot of what we talk about in this episode relates to engineering, but not just in the software sense… it’s also about engineering behavioural changes, shifting mindsets and reducing anxiety about what’s wrong with the world… instead choosing to focus on what is truly within our power and recognising we can actually do to make things better.
It’s a new way of thinking about affecting positive impact at scale – something that is very on brand for this show!
We also get into the current state of the climate, why we should be cautiously optimistic about that, what’s going well, what isn’t, and
where things might be headed in the future. And what it’s going to take to get us on the right track.
It all comes down to scaling individual impact and focusing on our Handprint, rather than just our footprint.
---
Transcript:
https://amodernremedy.com/engineering-impact-an-interview-with-handprints-dr-simon-schillebeeckx
For the latest insights and analysis on health, tech and sustainability, visit https://amodernremedy.com
Connect with us:
Handprint / Dr Simon Schillebeeckx:
Credits:
New Ways is a production of A Modern Remedy.
This episode was produced by Russell Baker, with music by Simon Zinzovski.
See our Privacy Policy at https://amodernremedy.com/privacy-policy