As part of this year’s Climate Week, the Erb Institute hosted a fireside chat with Tim Mohin, CEO of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. Speaking to a room of students, Mohin shared his insights about the standardization of carbon accounting, the business value of adopting sustainable practices, as well as career advice gained during more than 40 years in this space.
As the first CEO of the GHG Protocol, Mohin has made a lasting difference in setting standards for companies and cited meaningful collaboration with other leaders in this space, like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the role of New York Climate Week and the International Conference on Environment, Chemistry, and Management.
Mohin noted that spending is more likely to go to mandatory reporting efforts as opposed to voluntary ones, so companies need other incentives and motivations in order to comply with standardized reporting systems. These can include market pressure or employees prioritizing sustainability efforts.
Another way to encourage sustainable business practices is to explain the value to company leaders. When immense flooding in Thailand caused disruptions to Apple's supply chain, it was a clear example of how “climate risk becomes business risk,” said Mohin. Showing how severe weather events result in more frequent and costly obstacles for businesses could help executives comply with both mandatory and voluntary standards.
One development in reporting discussed was the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). This serves as a tariff; companies are charged based on how much carbon is emitted during production. For Mohin, this revolutionary way of reporting on carbon intensity and managing production can be “a game changer.”
Upon stepping into his new role, Mohin gave an exclusive interview with the Wall Street Journal, and was asked whether the GHG Protocol was “greenwashing.” Mohin responded that real action needs to occur because “if people think it's all greenwashing, it erodes everything we’ve done.” Mohin also took a moment to applaud the curriculum and skills taught by the Erb Institute, which approaches the integration of business and sustainability as a “truly interdisciplinary field.”
Although he has switched jobs many times, Mohin has never switched careers, as he has found his passion in the sustainability space. “When you can bring your cause to work, work becomes your cause,” Mohin said. He also discussed the important role that jobs outside of corporate social responsibility (CSR) can play. As sustainability practices and principles are applied to mainstream jobs, such as marketing and finance positions, these ideals extend beyond corporate responsibility roles. It is important to “lead from wherever you stand,” he told the room.
While there is still polarity within the field and disagreement on the best measures to decarbonize the economy, organizations like the GHG Protocol are working to find a solution. From establishing international standards to valuing the economy with a different metric than gross domestic product (GDP), there are lots of decisions that need to be made. Mohin is prepared to combat these issues together because “we need to come together, we haven’t yet, but that’s my job.”