In this installment of a multi-part series of interviews with different New York sustainability leaders, Ampleen profiles the head of sustainability for CA Technologies.
In her role, Jennifer Dudgeon oversees the company’s corporate sustainability strategy; ensures that CA Technologies’ greenhouse gas emissions footprint is accurately measured and communicated; leads the internal Green Team program, which is aimed making CA Technologies offices more efficient and raising awareness among employees about the company’s progress in this area; and reports the company’s progress to the CDP, Bloomberg, Dow Jones and other organizations looking for information on the company’s sustainability program.
Here, Jennifer talks about how she got into sustainability, the differences between sustainability at public organizations and private companies, and how young people can pursue a career interest in sustainability.
What led you to get into sustainability after you chose a major in environmental science in college? What was your initial interest in this area?
Like many people, I have always held a love for the outdoors. Life is better when time is spent outside. I am fascinated with the classical elements (fire, air, water and earth) and the power they hold. I was amazed when I went to university to find out I could actually get a degree in environmental sciences. Back then, I really didn’t know what kind a job I would get with it, but if I was going to spend four to six years of my life studying something, I wanted to be interested in it. Coming out of university, I started working in conventional and renewable energy development. From there, I morphed my career to focus on climate change policy and helping companies measure and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Now that I am in a sustainability office, I have the opportunity to address all four elements again – well, maybe not fire, but earth, air and water — and it’s incredibly rewarding. Helping a for-profit business reduce its environmental impact while positively impacting the bottom and top lines is very satisfying. Also, it provides the opportunity to meet colleagues around the globe who share this passion and help them find ways to integrate it into their work and home life.
You have experience in both the public and private sectors in your sustainability work. What’s the biggest difference that you have seen between the two in terms of sustainability methodology and approach?
The most apparent difference is that things move a lot slower in the public sector, but if you continue to push, you will get things accomplished. Both the public and private sectors have obvious biases – the public sector is governed by votes and the private by revenue. Learning how to identify your audience and how to not just communicate with them but to really connect with them is critical to success in both sectors. So while there are some differences, there are also many similarities, and I have been able to apply many of the things I learned during my time in the public sector to my work in the private sector.
As a sustainability officer in the flavor and technology industry, what’s your personal mission, and what do you wish to achieve in this capacity over the next few years?
My mission is to build as many bridges across my company and industry as I can to ensure that people understand what corporate sustainability is and why it is critical for business. I will continue to lead and expand our global Green Team effort and look to work more closely with our senior leadership to firmly establish links between corporate sustainability and business risks and opportunities.
You have seen the revolution in the sustainability field over decades. What are the major changes that you have seen so far, and what are the changes that you would like to see more of in the near future?
When this started, it was all about the numbers and regulations. As people began to really understand what sustainability is, it extended to brand enhancement, risk mitigation and employee attraction and retention. It’s becoming more and more about business. Ocean Tomo’s 2010 Intangible Asset Market Value report suggests that today only 20% of an S&P 500 company’s market value can be explained by its physical and financial assets whereas in 1975 that value was 83%. That means the market value of a business now is largely based on intangible factors, like intellectual and human capital, brand and reputation, and relationships with external stakeholders. Given the number of investor and customer questionnaires I respond to each year, I think it’s safe to say that corporate sustainability plays a role in market value. There are still many senior business leaders that haven’t made this connection. In the future, I would like to see more investors, financial analysts and customers having conversations with business leaders on what their company is doing in this space.
Many young people are interested in a career in sustainability. What is your advice to them?
Follow your passions. No matter what your job is, you can make it “green.” You may be an engineer, marketing professional, lawyer, administrator, or accountant by degree, but if you come into the office each day looking at your responsibilities through the lens of sustainability, you will find ways to innovate, helping your organization do more with less and achieving its sustainability objectives. If you see areas where improvement can be made, then speak up and let other folks know.
What do you think of the interview with Jennifer? Let us know of your feedback!
Jeffifer Dudgeon has been active in the energy and climate change arena since the 1990’s, providing technical consultation on energy, climate change and sustainability policy to US and UK Governments and performing greenhouse gas (GHG) footprints for international manufacturing organizations. Currently Jennifer leads CA Technologies sustainability reporting efforts and their Global Green Team program.
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