In this first guest episode of On Becoming the Change, I chat with Amelia Cookson. Amelia and I worked together for 2 years as the Sustainability team at the B Corp, Oddbox. In this conversation, we reflect on our time working in sustainability. We talk about our experiences with eco-anxiety and developing emotional resilience, the evolution of their approach to sustainability, and how understanding our values has shaped our career choices.

Here are some of the topics we cover:

- Navigating emotions and eco-anxiety

- Realities of working in sustainability

- Balancing individual action and systemic change

- Navigating knowledge about degrowth and working in business

- Aligning personal values with career goals

- Advice for making a meaningful impact

Thank you to Amelia for joining the podcast and sharing insights, learnings and reflections that I am sure will help others going through similar experiences.

I hope you enjoy this conversation. I would love to hear what resonated with you. If you know anyone who might enjoy this conversation then please do share it.

Amelia Cookson is currently campaigning for sustainable and just food systems, working as a Campaigner at Feedback, focusing on Industrial Aquaculture (fish farming). Previous experience includes working in sustainability teams within a range of food businesses, dealing with net zero strategies, sustainability data, comms and all things B Corp. However, with the growing belief that systems change best occurs best in the 'fringes', rather than a corporate setting, made the transition to campaigning. Outside of work you may catch her running around London or volunteering at her local Friends of the Earth group. Here are some links we talk about:

- Sign the petition to ‘Wagamama: Stop supporting a food crisis in West Africa. Take farmed salmon off the table’. here

- Accompanying paper on how the Norwegian salmon industry extracts nutrition and undermines livelihoods in West Africa

- Sign up for the '2040' Free Film Showing with Wandsworth Friends of the Earth - 29th September

- Find your local climate group

Thanks for reading On Becoming The Change! Subscribe to hear future episodes and support my work. You can find me on Substack - On Becoming the Change and Linkedin - Heather Lynch.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heatherlynch.substack.com