#32: Sara Taaffe on the tension between economic progress and sustainability

19/10/2023 34 min Temporada 3 Episodio 32
#32: Sara Taaffe on the tension between economic progress and sustainability

Listen "#32: Sara Taaffe on the tension between economic progress and sustainability"

Episode Synopsis

Sara Taaffe is a senior project manager with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership in London, England. After graduating with a leadership degree from UNB's Renaissance College, Sara began applying her passion for social innovation in Atlantic Canada's technology sector, but after four years began to feel disillusioned with the push for economic growth without putting value on sustainability, ethics, local business and consumer experience. She disconnected off-grid and began to understand the significant agency that individuals hold in creating positive changes through our day-to-day decisions. Indeed, the compounding effect of these decisions has tremendous influence on that of the wider economy. Now working in nature-related finance at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, she explores the intersection of economic progress and sustainability to better understand how to synergize the two. In this episode:    Sara's experience diverting from the corporate world to go off-grid for three years.  What are the roles of consumers vs corporations and governments and other stakeholders in driving the change that's needed for a sustainable economy?  What nature-related finance means.  How nature and climate are showing up as macroeconomic risks with various financial institutions. What consumers and citizens CAN do to help and why Sara is optimistic for our future.    Links and resources:    Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership  UNB Renaissance College  London School of Economics  Thanks to:    Our alumni host, Katie Davey  Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden   Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife    To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

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