Sarah Merricks: 5 Things We Must Do To Inspire The Next Generation About Sustainability And The Environment

An Interview With Penny Bauder

Encourage young people to get involved in causes that matter to them, whether that be the environment or other important issues. I am a firm believer that every issue can be tied to the environment and when people are working towards goals they feel strongly about, we will all be better for it.

As part of our series about how companies are becoming more sustainable, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Merricks.

Sarah Merrick’s environmental knowledge and vast institutional experience have earned her a reputation as a changemaker, agile marketer and leader within the sustainability sector. She has both a storied career in sustainability and a lifetime of climate consciousness, as the daughter of two environmental lawyers. Most recently, Sarah spent nearly nine years as chief of staff in the U.S. Green Building Council.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

I am a DC native and the daughter of environmental lawyers, so sustainability and environmental issues have always been top of mind. And by nature of growing up around the nation’s capitol, I was surrounded by changemakers and activists who inspired me to make the world a better place.

Growing up, despite our busy schedules, my family prioritized eating dinner together every night at the table — with a strict ‘no device’ rule’. During these meals, we often had long conversations about important events going on in the world. It was important to my parents that we were not only well-versed in current events, but that we understood how those events affected everyone.

Another formative aspect of my childhood was faith. I went to Catholic school from middle school through college, my family was very involved with my church, and community service was an important part of this. The idea that it is our responsibility to serve others, in turn making the world a better place, was something that was deeply instilled in me.

Needless to say, while I did not initially plan to be an environmental leader, I was always drawn to helping others and making the world a better place.

Was there an “aha moment” or a specific trigger that made you decide you wanted to become a scientist or environmental leader? Can you share that story with us?

It may be surprising to know that I went to college for theater. After graduating from Boston College and working for a short time at a local theater in the DC area, I realized it was fun but not my passion. I wanted my career to involve something that helped make the world a better place. I debated going back to school to get a masters in social work, going to law school or becoming a teacher — but ultimately, I decided that I wanted to align my professional life with a cause that was really important to me, which was climate change and climate justice work.

I landed an internship on Capitol Hill for the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. As part of my work, I had to audit every environmental and energy bill introduced during two sessions of Congress. Through that auditing, I found that only a tiny fraction of all of the bills introduced made it through the House and even fewer made it through both the House and Senate. Through this, I recognized I wanted to work at a place where I thought I was making a big difference in the fight against climate change. This was my first “ah ha” moment, when I realized that my passion for the environment was something I wanted to pursue in the long term.

After my time on the Hill ended, I eventually went to work at the U.S Green Building Council where I stayed for nearly a decade. During my time at the USGBC, I wore many hats; I was a Marketing Project Coordinator; Marketing and Communications Project Manager, Executive Communications Director, and later the Chief of Staff to the former CEO Mahesh Ramanujam. Working side by side with Mahesh, a leader who has a vision and set a course to relentlessly execute on that vision, gave me my ultimate “ah ha” moment. I knew I was in the right place working with Mahesh. Interestingly, back when I was working in theater right after college, I told my manager then that I thought I wanted to work for USGBC. Life really came full circle.

I would say my entire career trajectory — and all the “ah ha” moments that have contributed to where I am today — come back to the Jesuit concept of “vocation” that I learned at Boston College. It’s something I try to reflect on every few years and think it’s particularly helpful in finding a career and a great exercise for young people to do — and repeat and repeat.

The Jesuit idea of vocation is that each of us is called by God to a particular state or course of action. It implies that God has a hope, dream and a vocation for each one of us — and the following exercise is intended to help us figure out what God has called each of us to do. In the exercise, you are supposed to reflect on and answer each question as truthfully as possible — independently of each other. And then after you have answered each question, to meditate on what vocation is a balance of all three. Finally, it is not a one time practice but rather a continual life-long reflection process.

• What are you good at?
• What do you love to do?
• What does the world need more of?

My work in sustainability now marries all of these.

Is there a lesson you can take out of your own story that can exemplify what can inspire a young person to become an environmental leader?

I would share with young people that it is never too late to pursue a new career path or passion. With environmental leadership in particular, just get started. You can incorporate it into any job you have or any path you pursue. For example, is your agency focused on working with clients who are committed to going carbon neutral? Is your company themselves working to eliminate carbon from their operations? Are there perks for riding your bike to work or using public transportation? If not, use those opportunities to lead within your organization, even if your job title has nothing to do with the environment. One thing is for certain, everyone must work towards ending the climate crisis. None of us can afford to sit on the sidelines.

Can you tell our readers about the initiatives that you or your company are taking to address climate change or sustainability? Can you give an example for each?

In my most recent role at USGBC, my work was focused on transforming how the buildings which we all live and work in were designed. As buildings generate nearly 40% of annual global CO2 emissions, I have worked hard to ensure thousands of structures around the world are certified to LEED, the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Simply put, international climate goals cannot be met without decarbonizing the built environment. Beyond decarbonizing buildings, I have worked on about 10 programs to ensure that buildings, communities and cities were a safe and healthy place for communities to gather, for people to work, and for families to live. I also spent a great deal of time setting a standard for storytelling to celebrate green building leaders, which is one way to motivate the global community to go from awareness to adoption. I believe sustainable development is meaningless if it is not an equitable development, so, I have championed for LEED and other programs at USGBC to include equity oriented strategies.

As far as what’s next, my colleagues and I have some big announcements in the future, really focused on the environment’s impact on people and how to drive toward a net zero economy. Keep an eye on my Twitter and LinkedIn for more news on that in the coming weeks.

Can you share 3 lifestyle tweaks that the general public can do to be more sustainable or help address the climate change challenge?

1. Make promises and commitments to the environment that you know you can keep. Promises mean nothing without follow through. Only commit to things that are feasible and realistic for your lifestyle, and commit to doing them well. For example, if you are a busy parent who relies on single use plastics or paper plates to keep your house clean, don’t switch over to reusable tableware in one swoop. That will likely leave you feeling frustrated. Instead, think about what you can do piece by piece. Perhaps, commit to using reusable bags for your groceries or donate a few hours every month to volunteering at an environmental organization of your choice. Implementing sustainable habits looks different for everyone, and that is ok.
2. Vote with your wallet. Be conscious of the brands that you support, and if possible, choose ones that place an emphasis on environmental issues. For instance, has your favorite brand been accused of relying on sweatshop labor? Do they regularly publish progress reports on any environmental commitments they have made? Are they making meaningful progress towards going carbon neutral in their operations? While this will likely require more research and due diligence on your end, it will make a difference in the long run.
3. By prioritizing your personal physical health, you may be surprised to find that those choices will also help the environment. Take a walk or bike to work. Plant a vegetable garden. Choose homes based on how much natural light they have. Limit unnecessary screen time. Personally, I love playing soccer, spinning, taking hikes and prioritizing walking when I can. It’s about what works best for you.

Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview: The youth-led climate strikes of September 2019 showed an impressive degree of activism and initiative by young people on behalf of climate change. This was great, and there is still plenty that needs to be done. In your opinion, what are 5 things parents should do to inspire the next generation to become engaged in sustainability and the environmental movement? Please give a story or an example for each.

I’m so glad you asked this, because the future generations truly motivate me the most. As the mom of a toddler and a newborn, I feel a personal responsibility to instill in them values to protect our Earth, and to ensure they grow up in a place that enhances their health, not negatively impacts them. A few things I plan to do as they get older that I believe parents around the world can replicate:

1. It is important that we indeed inspire the next generation instead of talking down to them. Oftentimes, young people are dismissed or not taken seriously when in reality, we need to be listening to them the most. They will inherit the future we create for them, we must not only invite them into the conversation, but encourage them to lead it.
2. For parents especially, we must model the actions for our children that we want to see them repeat. For example, as my children get older, I want them to see me prioritizing sustainable choices in our home so when they move out on their own, they feel empowered and equipped to do the same.
3. Encourage young people to get involved in causes that matter to them, whether that be the environment or other important issues. I am a firm believer that every issue can be tied to the environment and when people are working towards goals they feel strongly about, we will all be better for it.
4. Recognize that climate change impacts every industry and everyone. One issue I see unfolding in the environmental movement is isolation. In order to meet climate goals, we must be leaders who seek to break silos and integrate sectors across the sustainability space.
5. When looking at something like ESG investing as a framework, start always with the “S”. This is our moral obligation. While many in the investment and larger environmental justice community are aware of greenwashing, “social washing” is not receiving the attention it deserves. Similar to how greenwashing deceptively persuades stakeholders to believe a company is more environmentally conscious than it is, social washing is when a company fails to address social inequalities systemically and lacks an understanding of the root cause as well as meaningful action. For many, COVID brought to light how important physical spaces are. The “S” in ESG is about connecting everyone back to a high quality of living. This means we must not be afraid to look at the complexity beneath each social issue, understanding educational differences and adapting to varying cultural sensitivities. For example, as many as 25 million people are in forced labor conditions and many of those are working in the building and construction industry, which accounts for $11.4 trillion of the world’s GDP. A commitment to address social inequities is not enough, actions must be taken and communicated transparently.

How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?

I would argue that it is impossible for a business to be truly profitable without embracing sustainable and environmentally conscious practices. ESG investing comes to mind immediately. More than ever, investors and consumers are taking a serious look at companies’ environmental and social commitments. It is important to note that this ranges from an organization’s carbon footprint to how they treat their employees. For example, by incorporating things like energy-efficient heating and cooling in your building and incorporating LED lighting, you are not only reducing your energy consumption, but saving money on utility bills. It is a win-win.

Also in this era of the great resignation, every company is under closer scrutiny by their current and future employees on how their companies are responding to the climate crisis. We all know how employee retention is key to sustaining and growing a profitable business.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Without a doubt I would not be where I am without my parents. As I mentioned before, my parents are both environmental lawyers. My mother lobbied on behalf of the Clean Air Act and even argued for it in the Supreme Court. She has also worked for various nonprofits including the NRDC, Friends of the Earth, EPA, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and, currently, at Honoring the Future. My father worked in the environmental justice wing of the Department of Justice and has been at Sidley Austin for the last three decades leading their energy and environmental practice.

Needless to say, I grew up with great examples. My parents both used their talents for the greater good and harnessed their motivation into careers that work tirelessly to protect the environment. I definitely got my drive from them and my passion to take care of our Earth is something I want to share with my own children.

Outside of my family, throughout my career the person who has single handedly taught and impacted me the most is my colleague Mahesh Ramanujam. He never treated me as a subordinate, instead he treated me as an equal, a partner and a leader; constantly encouraged me to take on more and more responsibility, to challenge myself and not be scared to fail big, and to push myself to do things I never thought I would be doing 10 years ago when I met him. I would encourage young people to find not only an organization whose morals you support and whose work you believe in, but to work for a place that has leadership that treats you like this because they will motivate and inspire you to grow both professionally and personally the most. You can get lost or be underappreciated working for leadership who treats you just as a resource.

You are a person of great influence and doing some great things for the world! If you could inspire a movement that would bring the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would like to inspire a movement that prioritizes action. As we have seen over the last several years, companies and governments around the world have made a host of promises related to climate change that they are unlikely to live up to. These promises and commitments can lull us into a false sense of security and action. I want to inspire people from every generation to live with radical honesty about what we are capable of achieving. Now, that does not mean we should not strive to be better, aim higher, or work harder towards goals that some might say are unrealistic. But it does mean we should stick to our word, and not make promises that we have no intention of keeping.

Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?

“Go forth and set the world on fire,” from St. Ignatius is my favorite quote. To me, it means that people who are not afraid to make waves and take bold actions in the face of crises can be a positive force for good. At this time in our history, I think this is particularly true for young people. Young people are capable of creating lasting change, I encourage them to be bold in their pursuit for lasting change.

What is the best way for people to follow you on social media?

You can follow me on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn.

This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us