Leading with Purpose in the Environmental Sector

Emma Green is the Founder and Director of Better Ground, a brand and communications consultancy helping environmental and purpose-led organisations grow their impact. 

With over 15 years’ experience shaping brand, marketing and communications strategy, Emma has led major rebrands, delivered high-impact fundraising and awareness campaigns, produced shoots across Australia, and guided organisations on sustainability communications and reputational risk management. She also has an MBA specialising in Social Impact, and is on the Board of the People and Parks Foundation.

After a conscious career shift into the environmental sector, leading marketing and communications for not-for-profit Greening Australia, Emma formed Better Ground to help purpose-led organisations create greater impact through better storytelling.

Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position.

I started my career working at different communications and marketing agencies. It was an amazing training ground, working with organisations of all shapes and sizes from global brands like Microsoft to small not-for-profits like Youth Projects, and everything in between.

Over 10 years working in agencies I was exposed to so many different marketing teams and gained a very clear sense of what works and what doesn’t, but ultimately I wanted to be working more closely to my values, so I made a conscious effort to shift my career into the social sector. 

I started an MBA specialising in Social Impact and applied to every environmental communications or marketing role I could find, regardless of level. Within a few months I was incredibly lucky to land my dream job at Greening Australia. After five years leading the marketing and communications team I was ready for a new challenge, and started my own business to help environmental and purpose-led organisations communicate more effectively.

What drives you to do the work that you do?

I’ve always been passionate about protecting nature, and grew up with a lot of eco-anxiety. Working in the sector though, the sense of collective hope and determination is so much stronger than the sense of anxiety, which is very grounding. 

It’s my firm, biased belief that the people who work in the environmental sector – and the social sector more broadly – are the nicest, brightest people on the planet. The enviro ones also have great camping tips. 

Being surrounded by these people, working on things I care about and that make the world a better place, motivates me each day. My work has also taken me to farms and communities all around Australia, helping unearth unique and inspiring stories.

In another (or future!) life maybe I’ll be an ecologist, but for now I love helping great people and organisations tell their stories to grow their awareness and impact. 

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career?

Relax! That would be the first thing. I was so unsure what I wanted to do or what I should be doing, but had such a strong desire to succeed and to do something important.

And the continuation from that would be: just keep moving towards the things that feel right, and you’ll eventually end up in the right place. 

Even on the wrong path, the people you meet and experiences you have shape where you’re supposed to go next. My first job was in fashion PR, which isn’t really me at all, but there were plenty of things to love about it, and every step led me to where I am now. I’ve also collected great friends along the way.

What does strong social sector leadership look like to you?

The words that first come to mind are authentic, proactive and hopeful.  

We’re up against so many complex, systemic challenges. Without hope, the task feels impossible. Without proactivity, nothing will be achieved – we’re pushing against a tide, which requires strength. Without authenticity people disconnect, and connection is the key to everything. 

Resilience is crucial in this sector too, individually and collectively to support each other through it all.

What are you currently watching, reading, or listening to?

I’ve been listening to Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith – in each episode he interviews different people leading nature recovery projects across the world. His positivity and enthusiasm are infectious. Hearing so many stories from incredible people doing incredible things for the environment, against difficult odds, brings me a lot of hope. 

And I’ve just read Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. It paints a bleaker picture of the world, but it’s a gripping story and her writing brings nature to life beautifully. There are also lots of interesting details about seeds and seed banks. And lighthouses!