Kate Williams & Ben Stuart on Climate Action, Taking a Stand, and Responsible Business

Today on the show I have Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global movement started by Yvon Chouinard (the founder of Patagonia) and his friend Craig Matthews to inspire businesses and individuals to support environmental nonprofit solutions, through annual membership and everyday actions. I’m also joined by Ben Stuart, Chief Marketing Officer for Bank of the West, a midsize national financial institution who is taking some bold actions to support climate change in meaningful ways.

Did you know that only 3% of all philanthropy in the US goes toward environmental giving. Did you know it’s very likely that your banking institution uses your money to invest in and support fracking and fossil fuels. In this episode, you’ll hear how Kate and Ben are looking to change that as we explore what it means to leverage business as a tool to support a healthy planet and society. 

If you’re anything like me, this conversation will spark some curiosity to dig deeper, so I encourage you to visit onepercentfortheplanet.org and bankofthewest.com to learn more.

One quick reminder before we dive in. As we move closer and closer to election season it’s important to start thinking about your role in the fight against climate change. My go to resource is Protect Our Winters (who is a supported by both 1% for the Planet and Bank of West coincidentally). They make it easy to get your friends and family registered to vote and have lots of information on how to make informed decisions and get involved. Head over to their website at protectourwinters.org or check them out on the socials for all the deets.