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189 / Old Playbooks, Omnibus Drama & A New Era Of The Change Hub (+ Halloween GIFs Galore 🎃)
Published about 2 months ago • 6 min read
Hello friends,
Happy Halloween! Whether you’re wrangling costumes, sneaking candy from your kids’ stash (who me?) or just enjoying the change in season, I hope you’re finding a bit of spooky magic in the mix.
Here at Reconsidered, we’ve been brewing up a little magic of our own — mixing equal parts reflection, community brainstorming and experimentation to reimagine how we support sustainable business leaders through our Change Hub membership community.
And now, we’re excited to introduce a new-and-improved Change Hub. What started as a place to help people save time and stay ahead of the curve has evolved into something much richer: a space for collective learning, cross-sector connection and the kind of honest, energizing conversations that keep this work sustainable (and fun).
As the sustainable business field enters a new era, so are we. The Change Hub is growing into a community for what’s next — for leaders who are ready to unlearn old patterns, grow new muscles and surround themselves with peers who just get it.
Here’s what’s new:
🔮 A refreshed focus on “what’s next” for sustainable business (and for us on both a professional and a personal level)
🧙♀️ A dynamic line-up of programming and content designed to help you be the leaders the world needs now
👻 A more accessible pricing structure (no, not higher — lower for those who need it!)
If you’ve been yearning for a space to make sense of this ever-evolving sustainability landscape together — and have a little fun along the way — I invite you to join us.
Did we mention the Change Hub has a new pricing structure? We now have two membership tiers designed to be more accessible to professionals with different resources and support systems. If Standard Membership is out of your budget, you’re welcome to join at our Supported Membership rate, no questions asked.
We can’t wait to kick off The Sustainability Communications Reset, our new three-part live virtual masterclass series to help you navigate the sustainability communications landscape and communicate with confidence in 2026. Choose between two cohorts and two pricing tiers (or pay just a bit extra to join our Change Hub membership community and get access for free!).
In a pre-COP30 memo, Bill Gates attempts to make the case that climate change, while serious, won’t spell the end of humanity, urging the world to shift focus from “doomsday outlooks” to improving lives in developing countries. The move marks a noticeable reframe from the author of a book called How to Avoid a Climate Disaster and reactions have been swift: former UNFCCC chief Christiana Figueres called out Gates’ “false either/or”, while Forum for the Future’s Sally Urenwrote simply, “I’m so very confused by this” (us too, Sally). IMO, the best hypothesis comes from Inside Philanthropy’s David Callahan: “One could imagine this being a continuation of wanting to move to the center and not wanting to be a target of the Trump administration.” Or maybe I just don’t want to accept that one of the world’s most ardent climate action funders is throwing in the towel? (3 min)
The headlines say ESG is retreating but the data tells a different story. In this analysis — one of the first showing how political pressure is actively reshaping corporate strategy in real time — researchers found that while 13% of companies surveyed have pulled back, a full 85% have held steady or accelerated their sustainability strategies. They’re just talking about it less. “This quiet progress may protect individual firms, but it carries a collective cost,” researchers warn. “Without visible leadership, the shared momentum needed to transform systems could face paralysis.” (10 min)
Part of last month’s NYT Magazine Climate Issue, this thoughtful profile of veteran organizer Bill McKibben doubles as a diagnosis of the broader climate activism landscape. The piece traces how we went from inspiring school strikes and divestment wins to today’s polarization and fatigue. It also surfaces a key question: if the “confrontational protest” era is on its way out, will the “giant potluck supper” approach advocated by McKibben be able to accomplish what it couldn’t? (15 min — 🎁 gift link for free access)
After the UN-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance shut down earlier this month, this article’s authors are asking: “Are climate alliances (1) effective aids to battle climate change, (2) dangerous cabals conspiring to harm consumers or (3) modestly useful self-help groups for firms trying to kick the risky emissions habit?” Using 20 years of data on 11 major financial-sector coalitions, the Harvard researchers found members did cut emissions and adopt more environmental policies, with no evidence of antitrust collusion or harm to shareholders. Their conclusion: alliances may be imperfect, but they still help companies stay accountable. (6 min)
The Omnibus saga continues! In a surprise “secret ballot” put out last week, the EU Parliament voted down the Omnibus I package — the Commission’s plan to ease CSRD and CSDDD reporting and due-diligence rules. The vote exposed cracks in the centrist coalition backing the plan and sent the file back to committee. Lawmakers will take another shot at a revised deal on November 13 but for now, CSRD and CSDDD remain unchanged — and companies are left waiting (again) for clarity. (5 min)
Leticia Socal is a circular economy consultant and a member of the Reconsidered Change Hub. In this profile, she shares how she’s advancing circularity through her work, how (and why) she navigated a career pivot and two concepts that shape her approach to impact.
The Autodesk Foundation is looking for an independent consultant in marketing and communications with experience in philanthropy, social impact and/or impact investing to execute a matrixed marketing strategy.
The Northwest Area Foundation partners with changemakers to fund work that leads to racial, social and economic justice. NWAF seeks a Program Officer to work with grantee partners seeking to reimagine and restructure unjust systems.
📣 * Partner Post. Looking for your next sustainability sorcerer or social impact wizard? 🧙Cast your spell with a Sponsored Job Post.
📆 November 6 — Let’s Talk: Non-Icky Networking | 💻 Virtual | Hosted by the Change Hub. In this member gathering, we’ll tackle our networking conundrums, sharing real stories, practical tips and mindset shifts to make networking feel more human (and less icky).
📆 November 13 — The Sustainability Communications Reset: Cohort 01 | 💻 Virtual | Hosted by Reconsidered. In this session, we’re kicking off Cohort 01 of our new three-part live virtual masterclass series, The Sustainability Communications Reset.
📆 November 13 — How I Built A Local Sustainability Network with Lisa Hendrickson | 💻 Virtual | Hosted by the Change Hub. In this live edition of our Learning Labs webcasts, Lisa Hendrickson, co-founder of Austin Sustainability Professionals, will share how she built a local sustainability community.
🧙 If you’re brewing up a social impact gathering, let us help conjure your biggest turnout ever with a Sponsored Event Post.
🧑🤝🧑 In the Reconsidered LinkedIn group, members are sharing virtual sustainable fashion mixers, impact fellowships and climate regulations webinars. Join 20k+ of us here.
🧛 Share your next purpose-driven project with our readers through a Sponsored Post — it’s a fang-tastic way to spread the word.
We are an impact strategy + communications studio on a mission to help sustainable business leaders drive bigger, bolder, more sustainable change.
Get fresh finds from the world of corporate responsibility, sustainability + social impact delivered straight to your inbox, every other week. Each issue includes 5 thought-provoking links, a curated list of impact job opportunities, interviews with global impact leaders and loads of exclusive tools + resources for sustainable business professionals.
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