Tom Fox welcomes Jules Oringel as his guest this week, and she may have the most unique story that’s ever been shared on The ESG Report. Jules is a second-year student at UNC where she double majors in Business Administration concentrating on ESG, Sustainability and Human Organizational Leadership & Development, with a minor in Public Policy. She’s here to talk about her passion for ESG and sustainability, and the road to pursuing it as a professional career post-grad.
Entering the World of Sustainable Development
Tom asks Jules what led to her studies at UNC. Jules explains that in 2018, after losing a loved one in the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, she founded Return Home Supplies, a youth-led nonprofit organization working towards ending gun violence in America. Speaking about gun safety legislation not only helped her heal from trauma, but also educated her on how policy and business were intermixed in a way she’d never understood before.
She was really introduced to ESG in college, and was so interested that she declared a major in business in addition to her focus in public policy. In Jules’ words, “Taking classes in ESG is just opening my eyes to what ESG in business and nonprofit can do to make the world a better place.”
The Impact of Customers on ESG
In her classes, Jules is learning about the economic benefits of working towards sustainable development goals as a business. Some notable benefits include higher sales, employee retention, and brand loyalty. She cites Patagonia as a worthy example for other businesses to follow. “We can’t go through and do hours of research on every single product we’re purchasing,” she comments. However, she continues, if we are mindful of the companies we purchase products from, we can make our own carbon footprints more sustainable. Ultimately, though, it’s up to corporations to focus on ESG to enact greater change.
Generation Z and ESG’s Future
The current generation is very willing to embrace many concepts pertaining to social justice. Tom asks Jules why she thinks that may be. “My generation is the most diverse, and the generation most focused on social and economic justice,” Jules claims. Generation Z strives to eventually work for organizations that care about their employees, their environmental impact, and forming long-standing partnerships with social organizations working to alleviate standing issues in our society.
However, she highlights the fact that without large companies listening to what Gen Z is looking for in terms of ESG, none of these problems will be solved. She hopes that as this generation continues to educate themselves and enters the work force, employers will begin to see the value of ESG.
Why Should ESG Internships Be Offered?
Jules speaks about the process of applying for internships. Tom asks her, “Do you have any thoughts that you could share directly to businesses about why they should offer ESG internships?” Though there are tons of marketing and finance internships available, it’s difficult to find roles in ESG despite the high levels of interest expressed by the current generation. Jules understands the requirement of 5 to 10 years of experience for most of the roles that are offered in social and environmental impact management, but encourages companies to work on providing more opportunities to learn from the best in sustainability, to ensure that they have convenient access to people who are ready and willing to tackle ESG issues.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals
There are 17 UN sustainable development goals ranging from zero hunger to decent work and economic growth. Each goal comes with specific targets to help meet them by the year 2030. The UN Global Compact hopes to provide different frameworks and resources to encourage businesses to embrace these goals. Should businesses cooperate, we have a chance to achieve a much more prosperous and equitable future, Jules points out.
RESOURCES
Tom Fox’s email
Jules Oringel | LinkedIn | Instagram | Return Home Supplies
UN Global Compact
