In this episode of On Becoming the Change, I speak to Katherine Ellsworth-Krebs, a Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Strathclyde focusing on sustainable design and a coach for sustainability professionals. For the past year, Katherine and I have collaborated on a research project to explore the realities of working in a sustainability role within an organisation. We surveyed 92, and interviewed 28, sustainability professionals to find out what the main challenges were and what skills and support they needed. In this conversation, we share insights from our research and stories we heard from sustainability professionals. Here’s what we discuss:
The unique struggles of working in the sustainability field, including eco-anxiety, loneliness, the newness of the industry, and the absence of clear career paths and guidance.
The cognitive dissonance that can happen when working in sustainability, the impact of greenwashing, and managing the tension between economic growth and environmental boundaries.
How burnout manifests and the profound lessons learned when you’re forced to slow down.
Why coaching and emotional intelligence are crucial skills for sustainability professionals and how they support personal and professional growth.
The transformative role of coaching in building confidence, resilience, and the ability to navigate challenges.
The question: Who holds the space for sustainability professionals to process what they’re going through?
We get personal in this episode and share more about our own experiences of burnout, climate grief and anxiety and what led us into coaching. And we explore the importance of emotional intelligence, building supportive networks, and recognising the value of self-care and boundary setting.
If you are a sustainability professional navigating the challenges of this work, know that you are not alone. We hope this conversation brings you some comfort, inspiration, and practical insights to help you find balance and deepen your impact.
Katherine Ellsworth-Krebs
Katherine is a Coach for Sustainability Professionals and Chancellor’s Fellow in Sustainable Design. She has worked alongside an Environment Team; co-founded Transition University of St Andrews; and spent over a decade researching low-carbon lifestyles and theories of change. She’s certified by the Ethical Coaching Collective and has over 300 hours experience coaching 1:1 and in groups.
Find more of her resources for sustainability professionals, including her podcast Joyful Climate Writing and the link to sign up for her weekly newsletter, at ellsworthkrebs.com. Here is the link to Katherine’s group coaching programme for sustainability professionals https://www.ellsworthkrebs.com/th
Read more about our research:
Our presentation of the research findings and other resources here
News articles published in edie and IEMA (about the challenges and the skills) and our research mentioned in IEMA’s Transform Magazine
Sign up to our mailing list here where we share more personal stories, insights from our research and offers to support the resilience and wellbeing of sustainability professionals.
No work updates from me this week. Other than taking some time to seriously slow down and wind down after the first year of self-employment, I have also been getting festive with wreath-making, painting, ice skating and gingerbread-house-making and watching my niece and nephew in their Christmas shows.
Thank you SO MUCH for being part of my journey this year and for reading and listening to On Becoming the Change, your support means so much to me. The next podcast episode will be out on the 9th January before I conclude the first series of the podcast.
Wishing you a lovely and relaxing festive break.
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