Climate Collaborative announces new director

The Climate Collaborative today announced that Erin Callahan has joined as its new director.

The collaborative, a three-year project of OSC2 and Sustainable Food Trade Association (SFTA), was created to catalyze bold action for climate change in the natural products industry. Callahan will be joining as its first full-time director, responsible for management and execution of the collaborative’s work, including all programming, communications and outreach.

“The Climate Collaborative is bringing together the natural products industry in an unprecedented effort to drive bolder ambition on climate change and to scale industry solutions,” Callahan said. “Scores of leading companies have already made commitments in the few months since the Collaborative’s launch. I am thrilled to be carrying this project forward and working closely with OSC2 and SFTA to continue to grow the Collaborative’s work and impact and celebrate the leading companies who are helping transform their industry.”

From Annie’s to Wisdom Works, more than 80 companies—representing retailers, manufacturers, distributors and suppliers in the natural products industry—have made more than 300 commitments to action since the collaborative’s launch in March 2017.

W.S. Badger Co., a personal care product company, is the most recent company to announce a commitment. Its family owner and VP of research and product development, Rebecca Hamilton, said upon joining, “In the wake of our country’s decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement, we now see that businesses have a responsibility to stand up and be vocal about our commitments. To inspire others to do the same, we are joining the leaders of our industry.”

Carlotta Mast, senior vice president of content and insights at New Hope Network and Climate Collaborative advisory board member said, “The urgency for business action on climate is greater than ever, and it is fantastic to see the natural products industry coming together and making bold climate commitments.”

As director, Callahan will lead the collaborative’s work, bringing together the natural products industry and connecting companies to pathways of action on climate. She brings with her a wide range of corporate campaigning and sustainability experience. Callahan joins the collaborative from CDP, where she managed corporate engagement for the We Mean Business coalition’s commitments campaign. In that role, Callahan worked with hundreds of the world’s largest companies, industry groups and investors, supporting them in making more than 1,000 leadership commitments to climate action.

Through her work with We Mean Business, she has engaged leading global brands on setting renewable energy targets, deforestation goals and a suite of other action areas directly aligned with the Collaborative’s commitment’s platform.

Callahan earned a master’s degree in international relations and economics, with a focus on international energy, resource and environment issues, from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

She is based in New York and reports to the Climate Collaborative Management Board. For more information, visit www.climatecollaborative.com, or email Callahan directly at [email protected].

Source: Climate Collaborative