The environment in the boardroom: On overcoming obstacles | Susan Hooper, Chair & Non-Executive Director

The Better Boards Podcast Series

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This podcast was recorded in August 2022, just after a record-breaking heatwave in the UK. Since the start of temperature recording in 1884, the ten warmest years in the UK have all been recorded since 2002. At the same time, rainfall is the lowest since records began, and hosepipe bans have been introduced in parts of the UK, while wildfires are raging across Europe. Climate change has become evident. However, some Directors feel a greater sense of urgency than others.

In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, talks with Susan Hooper. Susan is Chair of Tangle Teezer, Chair Designate of Inter. Earth, and sits on the Boards of Moonpig plc, EUROWAG plc, and Uber UK. She is Acting Chair of Carbon Gap, a Founding Director of Chapter Zero, and she is involved in several start-ups in carbon capture and sustainability. Susan is also an Ambassador for the World Travel & Tourism Council.

"Climate change is time-boxed - we know the clock is ticking"
Susan points out that as recently as 2018, climate change was usually not on the agenda or discussed in board meetings. It is now but mainly because of external requirements. She believes that one of the reasons for the lack of attention to climate change was the lack of understanding that this is not "just another crisis" but a situation without precedent.

"For every risk and issue that you are trying to solve, there is at least one opportunity that you hadn't even dreamed was there"
Any problem can seem insurmountable but Susan says in these cases, you need to break it down into small manageable parts. The reality is that once this is done, people can understand and find solutions.

"Not everyone feels comfortable with the depth of change that is needed"
Susan feels that at the board level, there can be a feeling of overwhelm about change. Directors typically come to the board with decades of experience, knowing how to manage the circumstances prevalent in those decades. However, environmental issues can place them in uncomfortable territory.

"You definitely don't want to be the lone voice"
Susan explains that climate change is a topic where she can find herself the lone voice on a board. She feels board members have to be comfortable with not being "loved."

"You've got just to keep chipping away at this issue"
Susan points out that this subject keeps changing, so the learning never stops. In the absence of climate specialists on the board, the rest of the board must inform themselves. She has found that bringing in outside advisors to speak helps board members to learn.

"This is an important issue that needs attention and to be embraced by the board"
Susan confides that she has made a personal pact with herself not to work for a company where the CEO and/or Chair is not recognising that this is an important issue that needs to be embraced by the board.

"We mustn't expect everyone to become climate specialists"
Susan reminds us that board members are responsible for ensuring that climate competency is within the company in such a way that it will address the issues but not every board member needs to be a climate specialist. Change is needed required in the next three to five years, or the targets for 2030 and 2040 are "pipe dreams." The three top takeaways are:

1. Never underestimate the influence of a Non-Exec Director, despite being a lone voice. Each Director is responsible for the overall results.
2. Everyone tries to make good decisions with the lowest risks, but waiting for clarity is not an option, as there is so little we understand.
3. Do not worry about what you canno