Waking up this morning, I didn’t feel that the agenda spoke to anything I really felt passionate about as it was a day focused on “climate optimisation” but to my surprise I found it a phenomenally interesting day
First stop was a small charity called 10:10. 10:10 is about doing practical stuff that helps solve climate change. From riding a bus to repowering a village, they bring people together to help build a better world.
10:10 are an inspiring group of young individuals who have created a unique proposition in their campaign “Solar Schools” to create solar energy crowdfunding campaigns that brings whole communities together. Check out their video here http://www.solarschools.org.uk/
With all charities their passion comes from a deep sense of doing good, and I wonder if charities need businesses and mentors to help them scale and explore new ideas. With the Solar Schools, they are introducing Science and technology and one of them team asks them if they are using this platform to encourage more interest in STEM, specifically girls? It is an interesting observation and one that would link the concept of SMART communities, SMART climate optimisation and SMART education together.
Leaving 10:10 it is obvious that in the world of SMART leadership and connecting ideas to have a bigger impact is one that needs to be explored further and a question I specifically posed to a number of senior leaders in education and research at Kings College. There are so many organisations, government bodies and educational boards, charities, NGO’s doing their bit but how do we connect these altogether, who is providing SMART leadership that brings these all into one strategy for SMART communities?
After Kings College we headed off to meet the team responsible for “The London Air Quality Network (LAQN). I have to admit that I wasn’t quite sure what the workshop had entailed but amazed at the insights provided.
LAQN are using lots of ways to measure air quality and gave us a history lesson into the London smog of 1952, which lasted a week and saw fatalities of nearly 12,000 people. In 1956 a clean air act was introduced and today whilst there is no smog in London, the air is considered as an “invisible killer” with the number of cars travelling in and out of London. The question they asked me was “will you stop driving to London armed with the information”. I think the answer can only be “yes”, the idea that I am contributing to the consistent health implications for those walking, cycling and travelling in London is saddening.
We also visited their collection site opposite Madame Tussaud’s which if you have never seen is the rather, but aesthetically pleasing wooden cabin. An incredible unit that helps gather data to ensure better insights and decision making in climate optimisation campaign. If you are interested check out what that data and data analysis provides those travelling in London, a truly “Big Data” project http://www.londonair.org.uk/LondonAir/Default.aspx
It’s amazing what seemed like a rather “dull” day has got me to think completely differently and reflect on what my role is in the challenge of Smart Communities
The Unlever dinner was delightful but Paul Polman’s speech, was impactful and purposeful, so much so that he received a stand ovation and I have to say one of the most thought provoking speeches I have heard in a long time.
And so I will leave you with what Paul Polman left all of us with, leadership starts from being authentic, being adaptable, being resilient and above all having the courage to be a systemic thinker, the fact that we are all responsible for the world we live in.
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