Lauren Wan: Turning Business Into a Force for Climate Action

Lauren Wan is the Climate Programs Coordinator at the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3), a membership-driven nonprofit bringing sustainability professionals together to address climate change through a learn-solve-act framework. Through climate education programs, Lauren is helping create a tangible impact at the local level, working with cities, businesses, and residents to make more climate-friendly decisions and accelerate clean energy adoption across the Bay Area. On a personal level, Lauren shares that working collectively on solutions has helped her cope with climate grief: "I always feel like I can be doing more, in general, and I think that's not fair to put that kind of pressure on yourself. Especially knowing that other bigger players are contributing to climate issues." She says it is important to remember that "you are not going to solve climate change on your own." This understanding led Lauren to work at a company whose values aligned with hers and where she felt she was contributing to something larger than herself. The work of BC3 relies on those values to engage and empower various stakeholders across sectors to collaborate on climate change, knowing that we can scale impact that will help reach global climate goals when we work together.

One of the most important things you can do regarding climate change is talk about it.

• Lauren shows Matt Scott around one of her favorite places in the Bay Area, the Oakland Zoo. Growing up, Lauren would spend summers at Zoo Camp, which led to a high school volunteer opportunity through the Teen Wild Guide Program. These experiences were formative for Lauren and helped solidify her passion and curiosity for ecology, wildlife, and conservation, which continue to motivate Lauren's deep commitment to climate solutions. In college, Lauren focused on studying business, surprising her family and friends. Still, she understood that she didn't need to focus her studies on environmental science or ecology to work on climate change. The intersectionality of climate encompasses so much more, including politics, economics, technology, creative arts, and business. Lauren's career path demonstrates that every job can be a climate job because climate change connects to every profession in some way. What is a profession that you are interested in learning more about? What is it that attracts you to that profession? Are there connections between this profession and climate action? 
• Lauren helps others make more informed climate-friendly decisions through BC3 programs. Lauren shares, "It's overwhelming, and it's hard to figure out where you can start." She shares that solutions like rooftop solar can be expensive and confusing for residents. To increase access, Lauren coordinates SunShares, a rooftop solar and battery storage discount program for Bay Area residents to make sustainable energy options more affordable. "If I can get one person to install solar or one person to look at their electricity bill and see how much of it comes from a renewable energy source, that's a win," she says. Through education and resources, Lauren empowers smarter decisions that add up to a significant impact on people and the planet. Are there more sustainable decisions you could make or advocate for in your home? What is one step you can take today to connect with your city or local energy provider to learn more about how to make climate-friendly choices where you live? How might you find out if there are any current resources or financial incentives to make sustainable energy more affordable for your family or community? 
• Lauren describes herself as a "people person," a strength not measured in her high school grade point average. "For a while, I thought I was pretty mediocre,” she says, “especially as a middle child whose sisters are really accomplished. I am so proud of them, but I compared my achievements to theirs." Lauren shares that her mom encouraged her by saying, "You are great at balancing work and social life, which is a skill that is beyond your years." Her identity as a communicator and a connector is something that Lauren now values as a superpower because it is what helps her connect with and bring people together through her work. Everyone can be a leader on climate change, and we all have a role in facilitating solutions in our spheres of influence. What is a unique gift or talent that you have? Or perhaps one that you want to explore? How might this be a superpower in disguise? 
• "Growing up, I never saw People of Color in executive positions who were working in climate…The job I wanted was not held by people that looked like me, and that's not the case anymore." In advising her younger self, Lauren says, "Don't reach out to people on LinkedIn asking for a job; ask them what it's like to work in this space and how they got there." How might Lauren's approach to inquire and learn more about people's career paths or journeys be a good approach when seeking a profession? How might it be imperative for underrepresented leaders to share with others how they got there? How might asking about someone's career journey produce a different result than directly asking for a job? 

Learn about the solutions in this story.

• Sector: Electricity
• Climate Solutions Cluster: Enhance Efficiency; Shift Production
• For more on all of Project Drawdown’s climate solutions, visit drawdown.org/solutions
• Learn more about Lauren’s work at the Business Council on Climate Change

Explore Climate Solutions 101, the world's first major educational effort focused solely on climate solutions. This video series combines Project Drawdown’s trusted resources with the expertise of inspiring, scientifically knowledgeable voices from around the world: drawdown.org/climate-solutions-101.

Check out the Drawdown Roadmap, a science-based strategy for accelerating climate solutions that ensures efforts to stop climate change by governments, businesses, investors, philanthropists, community organizations, and others are as impactful as possible.

Visit the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, a resource that shares research, communications strategy, and opinion polling on climate communications.

• Subscribe to the Project Drawdown newsletter to receive biweekly insights and inspiration to guide your own climate solutions journey. 
• Drawdown Ecochallenge, presented by Ecochallenge.org, is a fun and social way to take measurable action on the top climate solutions. Take the challenge, and see how a few weeks of action add up to a lifetime of change for you and the planet. If you want to take action on climate solutions like Lauren, start a challenge today. 
• The Drawdown Labs Job Function Action Guides are practical resources that highlight specific, high-impact climate actions employees in common corporate professions can take at work. 
• ChangeX connects people with proven ideas for strengthening communities with the resources needed to implement those changes. Explore countless ways to improve your community and help the world reach drawdown.
• Climate Generation's Green Careers for a Changing Climate Instructional Supplement (for Grades 6-8) contains resources to help young people learn about Green STEM Careers—paths that use STEM skills to help reduce the impacts of climate change. Throughout this instructional supplement, students use Project Drawdown resources to make important connections between climate solutions and different careers.
• Solutions Journalism Network highlights the importance of reporting stories of climate solutions in the media to create a more equitable and sustainable world. Visit their Teaching Climate Solutions resource to find curated collections and the latest examples of climate solutions journalism.
• SubjectToClimate (StC) is a nonprofit online connector for K-12 leaders of all subjects to find materials on climate change at no cost. Explore StC’s educator-generated database to connect to Project Drawdown-based climate education resources.