Show Notes
How does one of the UK's largest infrastructure companies successfully transition 27,000 employees to achieve net zero? Abby Chicken, Head of Sustainability at Openreach, reveals practical strategies for tackling major sustainability challenges - from electrifying the UK's second-largest van fleet to engaging thousands of employees and suppliers in sustainable practices. Whether you're leading a large-scale transformation or just starting your sustainability journey, this episode provides actionable insights on driving organisational change while maintaining business performance. 🎯 Key Takeaways: Infrastructure Transition Fleet electrification is a major challenge for large organisations but critical for meeting net zero targets Openreach is successfully converting their massive van fleet to EVs by tackling infrastructure, behaviour change, and practical challenges simultaneously
Stakeholder Engagement Success requires buy-in across all levels, from field engineers to finance Openreach uses different messaging for different audiences - from clean air benefits for those with asthmatic children to ESG requirements for raising capital
Supplier Integration Net zero goals require transformation across the entire supply chain Openreach embeds carbon reduction requirements in supplier contracts and shares best practices across their network
⚡ Quick Wins (Next 24 Hours): Action 1: Map your sustainability messaging [30 mins] Resource needed: Stakeholder mapping template Success indicator: Different value propositions identified for key stakeholder groups Action 2: Audit supplier contracts [2 hours] Resource needed: Current supplier agreements Success indicator: Opportunities identified to embed sustainability requirements Action 3: Identify potential sustainability champions [1 hour] Resource needed: Employee roster and team structure Success indicator: List of employees who demonstrate both business acumen and sustainability interest, representing different departments/levels ❓ Got a question? We’re here to help you with your sustainability problems. Submit a question for the show here 🔄 Share Your Impact: Help build our community of practice: Let us know how you implemented these actions: [email protected] Submit your case study Join our Sustainability Solved Hub
🛠 Tools & Resources: Reading Recommendations: Material World by Ed Conway - Deep dive into the raw materials shaping our future How to Get Big Things Done by Bent Flyverberg and Dan Gardner
🎙 Guest: Abby Chicken Head of Sustainability, Openreach Connect: LinkedIn Organisation: Openreach 🏢 Green Element Group Green Element Group is an environmental management consultancy offering a range of bespoke sustainability services, products, and resources to accelerate the just transition to a stable climate. The Group consists of Green Element Limited, Compare Your Footprint Limited, and Sustainability Solved Podcast and Resource Hub. Find out more about Green Element Group here and benefit from a 20% discount on the first year of subscription to Compare Your Footprint, the highest quality carbon footprint software for your organisation. When registering, click 'Got a Coupon' and enter code 'PODCAST' to claim discount.
👫 Credits Hosts: Will Richardson, Charlie Luxton Production: Soundquake Exec-Producer: Sam Hamilton-Turner Producer: Jake Lee-Savage 💚 Help us improve! Share your feedback
More from Sustainability Solved
I was told I did not have the academic ability to finish my masters in a year. I finished in a year, with good results. Part six of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: the one person who could say that sentence and get the result she wanted, why the messenger is half the job, and why we are going three episodes deep instead of one. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle.
A travel agent sold me a round the world ticket in ten minutes. A thesis on snowboarding in the Cairngorms quietly built the rest of my career. Part five of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: three students selling me their cities, why the best-told pitch always wins, and how to use what people are genuinely interested in. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle.
At nineteen I was offered the chance to be the youngest pub manager in the UK. I turned it down because of who told me to. Part four of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: managing staff at nineteen, the offer with the title and the money losing to the couple I actually trusted, and the sentence that is the whole reason Sustainability Solved Podcast is changing. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle.
I walked into hundreds of pubs before one offered me a job, on condition I dressed up as a chicken. It is still the best lesson in communication I have ever had. Part three of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: why they tested the chicken suit and not my CV, how I was sacked repeatedly without ever being told, and why people have switched off from climate messaging. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle.
Rainwater harvesting, a reed bed and a solar thermal shower in a Welsh cow field. The engineering was never the hard part. Part two of seven on why Sustainability Solved is changing format. In this episode: how a caravan nobody wanted became a log cabin everybody agreed to, why my dad shipped it from Canada when he should have bought it here, and what to do about the site or supplier where your plan is going slowest. Read the written version: https://willsussolved.substack.com Subscribe for weekly sustainability intelligence that actually moves the needle.