This content is sponsored by Ignite, and was written by Ignite contributor Sandra Eagle.
Her ebullient personality is on full display when she’s passionate about something—so if you want to see an example of it, ask Liz Akey, CMP, about sustainability. Akey is working hard, one person at a time, to reach out and connect with as many people as possible about climate change.
While Akey also manages her own company, EMA Marketing, based in Oakville, Ont., she is fully committed to her climate change journey. It actually started when she watched the 2021 Netflix documentary Seaspiracy. Her interest piqued, she began to read anything she could get her hands on about sustainable fisheries and farming, which lead to larger issues about carbon emissions and climate change. She also connected with Natalie Lowe, CMM, CRL, co-founder, along with Candice Tulsieram, DES, of the Sustainable Events Forum. Lowe’s suggestion: “take whatever course is interesting and feasible for your budget—and keep taking them. Apply your critical thinking skills and don’t be afraid to ask questions, because climate science is changing all the time, things we learned a year ago may not be valid now. Take a course and put it to action, start small, build-up and keep learning.”
“For me,” says Akey, “it all starts with a conversation. Educate yourself and begin the dialogue, with one person at a time. Building a community takes time, so little steps help to make a larger impact.”
As a long-time SITE member, Akey volunteered to join the SITE Global Sustainability committee to work with SITE Global Chapters to help them achieve their SITE Sustainability Certificate. “We do this through webinars and provide an outline of what is needed to attain it. A road map for sustainability must be developed by each chapter and case studies provided to support their environmental goals.” Re-certification must be done every three years. “It’s so educational and I’m so proud to be a part of this. Currently we have 18 chapters out of 27 that are certified.” She also chairs the Canadian SITE Sustainability Committee, which is collecting member’s best plant-based recipes to produce a digital cookbook.
CONSIDERING YOUR OWN CLIMATE JOURNEY?
It’s never too late to start learning.
Here’s some ideas to get you thinking.
READ UP
Saving Us by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard
WATCH
Nations United: This 30-minute film tells the story of the world as it is and
as it could be. It presents the facts, data and opportunities we have to
reimagine and reshape the future.
FOLLOW
Sam Bentley on Instagram for fun facts on sustainable living
ON THE WEB
drawdown.org
climateaccess.org
un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals
ENROLL
Get a checklist for sustainable events.
sustainable-events-for-busy-people.teachable.com
Article originally published by Ignite Magazine | Summer Issue 2022
To read more inspiration and insight from Ignite, visit ignitemag.ca
