Take 5 with our ‘Sustainability Champions’ In this series we will be meeting some of our ‘Sustainability Champions’ to find out how they bring their passion to the workplace. Working across all areas within Volta Trucks, our champions are vital part of our delivery of our sustainability actions and projects, promoting awareness of issues amongst their colleagues and encouraging environmental action.
Here we meet Gail Willows, Head of Digital Marketing and Creative Studio at Volta Trucks…
What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability shouldn’t be a department. Sustainability shouldn’t need to be a tab on a website, it should be how we are and what we do, without having to consider it. It’s logical to do things that regenerate nature, to not just take from it, because our planet only has finite resources. We need to realise now that we cannot continue on this current path, and the systemic change is required at pace.
Some companies are only just starting to address the issue of sustainability. Why is it worth tackling it now?
When the world waits for someone else to change what they are doing – “it’s the policy needed first”, “business needs to change”, “consumers need to stop buying it”, then we get nowhere. To move the needle, business can’t wait for policy, policy can’t wait for business, business can’t blame the consumer. With the plastics issue, we saw how the consumer voice, and the ‘blue planet moment’ accelerated both political and business pace. In life, I always have the motto “let’s just get on with it” and saving our planet should be no different. This is after all not a minor thing, its fundamentally about protecting our planet for our children, and their children to come.
What action that you have taken has had the most impact during your time at Volta Trucks?
Marketers and communicators have an important role to play in the transition to a better economy. For example, in the instance of Volta Trucks inspiring companies to move at a faster pace, showcasing the TaaS (Truck as a Service) offering and how this can de-risk a lot of the concerns, is a role we can play to show those that are a bit hesitant, that actually, it’s fine. Inspiring action at a greater pace in the industry, collaborating and building confidence with business is something I get inspired by.
If you identify an area where Volta Trucks can improve the environmental impact, what do you do? How does that become a reality?
The best thing about Volta Trucks, is we think of something, we talk to a couple of people and then we say, ‘that sounds great, lets crack on and do it’. I love being part of the sustainability champions group, I am inspired to make a difference.
Is there another company whose work in sustainability you admire?
I worked for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for a number of years and got to see first-hand some amazing action happening in the space of sustainability. For me there are loads on my list, I am an absolute geek on this stuff – for fashion, it is Rapanui and Patagonia, for a big corporate I really admire Unilever, all the way to the C-suite they are committed – and they put their hands up to being part of the problem and are now driving change. Blackrock are leading the way in the circular economic investment space. Some of the work Philips and Ikea are doing in circular design is really progressive and innovative. I have a major interest in watching this space grow, and see which companies want to be the leaders in shifting their transport solutions first.
Find out more about how Volta Trucks are leading the way in zero tailpipe emissions and reducing the effects of global warming.