Sustainable Business Is Good Business – Tensie Whelan, Founding Director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business
Release Date: 04/29/2025
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Sustainable Business Is Good Business – Tensie Whelan, Founding Director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business
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“Blue state pension funds are doubling down on sustainability while red state pension funds are firing you. Companies are challenged because for some constituencies, they have to demonstrate their sustainability credentials, and for others, they have to hide them. So it's a really challenging time. But if you can demonstrate the business case, then maybe you can navigate being more proactive with those constituencies that really want this, and alleviating the risks with those constituencies that don't understand why it matters.” Tensie Whelan on Electric Ladies Podcast Mother Nature...
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info_outline“Blue state pension funds are doubling down on sustainability while red state pension funds are firing you. Companies are challenged because for some constituencies, they have to demonstrate their sustainability credentials, and for others, they have to hide them. So it's a really challenging time. But if you can demonstrate the business case, then maybe you can navigate being more proactive with those constituencies that really want this, and alleviating the risks with those constituencies that don't understand why it matters.”
Tensie Whelan on Electric Ladies Podcast
Mother Nature isn’t waiting for politics to catch up – business leaders know it.
Building companies that stand the test of time and create lasting value for their stakeholders, no matter which way the political winds blow, is the true measure of strategy and vision.
Listen to Tensie Whelan, Founding Director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business. Drawing on extensive research across a range of industries from consumer goods to agriculture, Tensie speaks to Joan about how businesses can strengthen the financial case for sustainability and enhance their communications.
You’ll hear about:
- The nine key factors that drive financial value through sustainability.
- How to build a strong business case for sustainability.
- What effective sustainability messaging looks like.
- Plus, career advice for mid-career women in sustainability or those looking to break into the field.
“If you’re working strictly in a business function, but would like to have more impact, see if you can work for a business who's doing some innovative work around sustainability. The sustainability team is always looking for partners. So there's an opportunity for you to get more experience and over time, potentially parlay your job into more sustainability work. Secondly, you could get on a board, a non-profit board that does a lot of work on environmental or just sustainability with corporates.
“My whole career, I've advanced [because] I've always seen where the holes were, how to look at problem with an opportunity mindset and volunteer to attack that opportunity and be willing to take a risk to do that and feel comfortable, which women struggle with at times.”
Tensie Whelan on Electric Ladies Podcast
You’ll also like:
- Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect, on how female farmers are transforming cotton.
- Dr. Stephanie Hare, researcher, broadcaster and author, on harnessing AI for climate action.
- Isabelle Grosmaitre, Goodness & Co, on how business models need to change to include their impact on society
- Jill Tidman from The Redford Center on how we can talk about the climate while ensuring a balanced narrative.
- Joan Michelson’s Forbes article on Death, Destruction — And Distraction: New Study On Media’s Climate Coverage Crisis
Read more of Joan’s Forbes articles here.
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