Edify.ac

Lesson Details:

Human activities are having unprecedented and irreversible effects on the global climate. Corporate activities representing – and continue to represent – a substantial part of human impact on the environment, both directly and indirectly.  Organisations often rely upon employees’ imaginations in considering the future impact of the decisions they make today, meaning that it’s difficult to model the ramifications of today’s decisions on the climate of tomorrow.

Transition to a Greener Future: Environmental, Sustainability and Governance Strategies

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Companies aim to maximise value for its customers, its people, its shareholders, and the local and global communities it serves. To achieve this in a sustainable manner, organisations need to ensure they’re working towards a more equitable and low-carbon world by committing to environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) goals.

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Transition to a sustainable future has the potential to disrupt economic stability and through adopting ESG strategies, companies are driven to consider climate-related corporate risks.

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Goals before partnering with Edify?

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Environmentally conscious companies create goals that deliver positive equality and sustainability outcomes in environmental performance, social impact and governance. Organisations with ESG-driven objectives aim:

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to reduce the impact of climate change
influence positive changes in their teams, company, customers and wider society
manage climate and environmental risks
identify opportunities in supporting the transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon world

Although corporate professionals don’t need to be experts in climate science, socially conscious organisations expect employees to understand the basics of climate change and its impacts on people and planet. This is vital for companies aiming to prove aligned corporate ESG goals with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and wider sustainability goals such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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What was the need the Edify project fulfilled?

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Data-driven companies use algorithms, projections and risk calculations to make decisions about assets, materials and infrastructure. However, assessing the environmental and socio-economic impact of decisions in this way can distance decision makers from real-world context of their choices. This makes it difficult for the team to relate to potential future outcomes that impact individual lives and global economies and also makes it harder to reach environmental, social and governance goals. Projecting future climate scenarios can seem abstract and distant enough for people to avoid or dismiss, not because we don’t care but simply because it’s hard to imagine what our world and climate will look like in 2100. If we want people to connect with a future reality, we need to take them there to see it for themselves...

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How did Edify satisfy those needs and help them meet its goals?

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Edify can take people anywhere – even to our climate-impacted future. Edify fulfils a need for an innovative L&D approach in ESG by providing immersive experiential training for corporate employees and stakeholders. These immersive experiences build empathy and inspire action to create a more equitable, sustainable future. With Edify there’s no longer a need to rely on the power of individuals’ imaginations – with Edify, people can experience immersive climate change scenarios for themselves. Edify provides interactive scenarios and decision-making tools that foster empathy amongst individuals and teams. Key stakeholders and decision makers are immersed within climate change scenarios to gain first-hand experience of the impact – positive or negative.

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Everyone is welcomed into the Edify virtual Climate Change Chamber where users are immersed in current and projected climate change data. Voting and audience participation allows us to harness the power of individual contribution and team collaboration in making the best decisions in moving towards understanding impact and achieving organisation wide ESG goals.

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Edify also enables climate change simulation within a simulation – providing a decision-making hub that feels very consequential. Immersed in our suite of climate change scenarios, people experience climate change impact first hand for themselves. Participants can also explore the unique perspective of different characters with experiences of climate change in that location. They can meet important stakeholders in Sydney’s future or hear how rising sea levels affect livelihood in Venice.

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Further, Edify enables the effective dissemination of ESG strategies from C-Suite to frontline employees. ESG strategies are not an optional extra or a drag on profitability. Instead, they facilitate top-line growth in the long term by ensuring that today’s decisions are equitable and work not just for the present moment but for years and generations to come. Investors and employees alike value ESG and socially responsible business practices, meaning that solid ESG strategies attract both the best talent and investment and build trust among stakeholders.

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