I’m excited to have Hermione on today’s podcast. She’s done so much for the communication of the environmental movements. She’s helped people talk to each other within organizations and encouraged them to act and do with regards to the environment and reducing organizations environmental impact.
She’s been working on this for 9 years which has worked with a lot of BCorp companies as well as other awesome companies. She’s particularly been impressed by companies that run campaigns and actually see through to the end of them. In this episode, she shares with us how the Do Nation idea came about and how you can contribute to the environment by living a sustainable life.
About Do Nation
Do Nation is all about encouraging sustainable living. We help people to form healthy and environmentally-friendly habits through an online pledge website where anyone can either make a pledge or run a campaign to raise pledges from their friends and families. The pledge is to do stuff like cycling to work, using reusable coffee cups etc.
Does businesses that join have to be of a certain size?
Not at all. We set up the platform with an aim of making sustainability accessible to all sort of teams no matter their size.
What made you start Do Nation?
I’d just finished my Master’s in Environmental Technology and I’d been looking at behavior change while doing my thesis. I was very aware of the power of pledging in encouraging behavior change and long-term behavior change if done right. So my friend and I decided to cycle from London to Morocco. It was very uncomfortable asking people for cash but I saw it as an opportunity to raise sponsorship and do something for the environment. I came up with the idea to ask people to support us by pledging to cycle to work or eat less meat etc. we gave them a big range of options where they could pick from. People loved it and that’s where the idea came from.
What got you interested in sustainability and the environment?
What first got me hooked was a sustainability pledge in university in Vancouver. They had a campaign during green week where they asked people to make a pledge to incorporate sustainability into their career decisions through the future. A friend gave me the form to fill and sign and it stuck with me. It definitely had an impact in my life.
What would you suggest to anyone who would like to get started and be more sustainable?
It depends where they are coming from and what stage of the journey they’re at. For a company, going through the assessment questions on BCorp would be a great way to highlight what they aren’t doing.
What would be ONE thing you’d want people to do after this podcast?
Go to Donation.com and create a campaign. Use it and build an impact. The best way a business or any individual can create an impact on the environment is by encouraging people to take action.
A little bit about Hermione:
Hermione Taylor is founder of Do Nation, an online platform designed to help people form healthy, environmentally friendly habits. Through Do Nation, she’s worked with over 100 organisations, from Nando’s to Network Rail, Ella’s Kitchen to Edinburgh University, helping to engage their employees in sustainability. Do Nation was born out of Hermione’s non-profit project whereby individuals can raise support for marathons, cycle rides, or even weddings in the form of action instead of cash. Instead of donating £5, supporters pledge to try out a new carbon-saving action – e.g. cycle to work, use less plastic, or avoid unsustainable palm oil.
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