The Humble Steps of a Changemaker #2

The second edition starts with a highlight from Barack Obama's 2014 speech at the United Nations Climate Change Summit (The White House, 2014)

“So the climate is changing faster than our efforts to address it. The alarm bells keep ringing. Our citizens keep marching. We cannot pretend we do not hear them. We have to answer the call. We know what we have to do to avoid irreparable harm. We have to cut carbon pollution in our own countries to prevent the worst effects of climate change. We have to adapt to the impacts that, unfortunately, we can no longer avoid. And we have to work together as a global community to tackle this global threat before it is too late.”

Given the current geopolitical instability regarding climate change, our reaction to this pressing issue holds significant importance. And a decade after this speech, the LinkedIn Global Green Skills Report (2024) shows the demand for green skills in the global professional landscape is shifting from "good to have" to "must have”. Despite a growing job market requiring these skills, prevailing economic difficulties are exacerbating the focus of governments and businesses on short-term goals, resulting in insufficient policies to support the development of this long-term agenda and a lack of investment in green education and training (World Economic Forum, 2024).

According to LinkedIn (2024), from 2023 to 2024, the green talent supply increased only by 5.6% while its demand grew by 11.6%. If this trend continues, the gap between green talent supply and demand will balloon to 101.5% by 2050. However, it’s a projection, and I hope it will follow the right direction with the rising urgency of climate change. On this matter, Rebecca Solnit offers an insightful definition of hope that aligns well with this situation (Budak, 2022):

“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky… hope is an ax you break down doors with in an emergency.”

Of course, although desirable, you don’t need a fancy academic background to start driving change. The climate call to action is for everyone. And even if you have a PhD, humility is key to succeeding as a changemaker. In this sense, recently I read about the singer Aretha Franklin. With over 75 million records sold and 18 Grammy Awards, she never stopped seeing herself as a student. The producer Devo Harris often works with artists holding a know-it-all attitude, even though they haven't achieved significant success. But when working with Aretha, she asked him for feedback (Harris, 2025):

"Tell me exactly what I'm doing wrong."

While ego might resist it, actively seeking feedback is crucial for our growth. And it also holds true in the journey of advancement as a changemaker. Given its importance, quality education is the focus of SDG 4. It is the basis for building scientific and technological innovations, our best weapons against unsustainable development. To further the goal of becoming a changemaker, education, training, insights, and individual experiences can foster a desire within us to create positive local and even global change. Interestingly, the term "changemaker" started to become widely known in 1981 through Ashoka, a social impact organization that defines it as (Budak, 2022):

“Someone who is taking creative action to solve a social problem.”

Living in Rio, although I wasn’t born soon enough for Rio-92, I experienced significant events like Rio+20 and the G20 Summit. Furthermore, Rio will host the BRICS summit this year. COP30 will happen in Belém, and some side events are happening all over Brazil. Immersed in this sustainability culture, as a Brazilian environmental engineering student, I want to contribute to the sustainable development of Brazil and beyond. This week at the Climate and Nature Finance Forum, keynote speakers stressed the necessity of shifting focus from sophisticated theories to concrete collective action to generate real impact.

An important lesson at the forum was that it makes no sense to expect that just a Conference of the Parties (COP) will change everything globally instantly. Over time, these shifts occur, and each COP has been significant in bringing us to our current point. As mentioned by Bloomberg Philanthropies (2025), the continuous UN-convened cooperation has produced a lasting positive impact. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of United Nations Climate Change declared:

“Without UN-convened climate cooperation, we would be headed towards up to 5 degrees Celsius of global heating, which most of humanity could not survive. We are now headed for around 3 degrees, so we are making progress, and we will see in the UNFCCC’s next Synthesis Report – in the lead up to COP30 – how far we have yet to travel. But one thing is already clear — we need much more progress achieved much faster, and so partnerships like this reflect the kind of decisive, collective leadership the world urgently needs.”

Another was that the cost of inaction surpasses the cost of action. You can think action is expensive by looking at this estimation made by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI):

“An estimated $ 5 - 7 trillion a year until 2030 are needed to realize the Sustainable Development Goals worldwide, including investments into infrastructure, clean energy, water and sanitation and agriculture.”

It takes more than money to fund inaction. Its cost also involves human and material damage, which is inadmissible. And it reminded me of a LinkedIn post about a light-hearted approach to dealing with people's objections on sales that applies in this situation (El Hachem, 2025):

"Clients who initially hesitated often come back and say: 'I’m glad we did it right the first time'. Because cutting corners is always more expensive in the long run. So next time someone says: 'You’re too expensive'. I smile and say: ‘Not if you value peace of mind, quality, and long-term results’.”

Tainá de Paula, Municipal Secretary of Environment and Climate of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, said Rio is the most charming city to talk about the climate, amusingly quoting the Mayor of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes. It was funny and I couldn’t agree more. But I’ve been seeing an ongoing debate about the COP30 chosen place, Belém. In my view, it’s not a bad choice, it really shouldn’t be charming. There are rumors that some of the last COPs were like parties, but we must scrutinize problematic regions that need sustainable development the most. In the heart of the Amazon Region, just perfect. In this perspective, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London and Co-Chair of C40 Cities, said (Bloomberg Philanthropies, 2025):

“Cities are on the frontline of the climate crisis. We’re also leading when it comes to finding solutions too. Partnerships like this will help us deliver joined-up action to deliver real change. By empowering mayors, unlocking finance, and supporting local leadership, COP30 can be a defining moment in turning global ambition into action.”

An amazing example of the perfect blend of the learner and changemaker archetypes is the famous Microsoft founder, Bill Gates. A self-taught Harvard dropout who became a billionaire (Fortune, 2025). According to CNBC (2018), Bill could be richer than he is, but part of his capital goes to philanthropy. He co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife in 2000. Most of their wealth will be donated to the foundation, helping advance the solution of global challenges. In 2010, he teamed up with billionaire Warren Buffett to start The Giving Pledge, inspiring ultra-rich individuals to donate to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and 150 millionaires and billionaires have signed it.

This kind of philanthropic partnership is essential to address humanitarian issues. With the focus on turbocharging global climate progress (Bloomberg Philanthropies, 2025), André Corrêa, COP30 President, and Mike Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy and founder of Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies, partnered. As André said:

“In a world of accelerating environmental and technological change, yesterday’s assumptions no longer apply. The transition of the global economy is already well underway, delivering energy independence and security, lower energy costs, and better jobs. Strong institutions and cohesive action are essential to turn climate risks into opportunities for investment, job creation, and long-term growth. This partnership will help mobilize businesses, local leaders, and communities to drive real solutions - at COP30 and far beyond.”

Participation in COP30 extends beyond Belém and doesn't require being a CEO or holding a PhD. It’s now or never. We must act. What are you going to do? If there’s any topic you would like to see in the next publications, let me know. And I look forward to having you here for the third edition.

References

Bloomberg Philanthropies. (2025, April 29). COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago and UN Special Envoy Michael R. Bloomberg announce partnership to turbocharge global climate progress. https://www.bloomberg.org/press/cop30-president-andre-correa-do-lago-and-un-special-envoy-michael-r-bloomberg-announce-partnership-to-turbocharge-global-climate-progress/

Budak, A. (2022). Becoming a changemaker: An actionable, inclusive guide to leading positive change at any level. Portfolio.

El Hachem, R. (2025, May 10). How to respond when clients say "you're too expensive". LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/roula-el-hachem-829b8824b_youre-too-expensivewhat-that-really-means-activity-7325941746322845696-TVgB

Fortune. (2025, February 20). Bill Gates says Microsoft might not have taken off if he hadn't dropped out of Harvard—or spent his nights sneaking out to code until 2 a.m. https://fortune.com/2025/02/20/bill-gates-micrsoft-teen-harvard-dropout-big-break/

Franck, T. (2018, January 10). Why Bill Gates is no longer the richest person in the world. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/10/why-bill-gates-is-not-the-richest-person-in-the-world.html

Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI). (2017). Higher education in the world 6: Towards a socially responsible university—Balancing the global with the local (GUNI series on the social commitment of universities, No. 6). UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247413

Harris, D. (2024, May 20). Tell me exactly what I’m doing wrong [Post]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/devoharris_tell-me-exactly-what-im-doing-wrong-activity-7330975024809476097-G3Os/

LinkedIn Economic Graph. (2024). Global green skills report 2024. LinkedIn. https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/economicgraph/en-us/PDF/Global-Green-Skills-Report-2024.pdf

Obama, B. (2014, September 23). Remarks by the President at U.N. Climate Change Summit. The White House. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/23/remarks-president-un-climate-change-summit

United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). (n.d.). Positive impact: A new approach to business and sustainable development. https://www.unepfi.org/positive-impact-2/#:~:text=An%20estimated%20%245%2D7%20trillion,water%20and%20sanitation%20and%20agriculture.

World Economic Forum. (2024, December). Green skills gap: A four-step plan to build the workforce of the future. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/12/green-skills-gap-four-step-plan/