Leadership reimagined

Robinson also spends an enormous amount of her time supporting women of colour in their career journeys, driven by a desire to create a working environment where each team member can use their talents to the maximum and truly thrive.

“While leaders are crucial to diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) work, it’s also everyone’s responsibility, and it’s about being a good human being – it’s not an extra or a nice to have,” she explains.

“Being in a leadership position can make or break someone’s life, and outside of relationships with family members or loved ones, I would say it’s the most important responsibility you can have.”

The sustainability profession is one of the least ethnically diverse in the UK – second only to agriculture – despite growing faster than almost any other industry in the country.

“If we’re not seeing ethnic diversity increasing, there’s a huge problem, given that a lot of the issues we tackle are really affecting people globally,” Robinson says.

“Those conversations can be really challenging, and I don’t see enough of us willing to have these uncomfortable conversations and admit that we don’t always know what the answers are, and try to work through it together.”

Much of her time is devoted to mentoring sustainability professionals facing barriers to progression, explaining how she has had to overcome her own obstacles to reach her current position.

“Looking back, I’ve definitely had points in my various positions where I considered leaving the profession completely and doing something different because of the mental toll it took when I had discriminatory experiences.

“It’s important that people working in sustainability have a great experience and develop into confident, courageous leaders, and also give exceptional experiences for others that they work with – I’d love to see more brave, honest and authentic leaders in this space.

“We should continue doing the challenging work of addressing our privilege”

“Some organisations have rolled back on their DEI commitments when they come across competing priorities because they weren’t clear on what their intentions were from the start. 

“There’s often an assumption that because we work in sustainability, we’re noble, because we’re working for a great cause, but we shouldn’t limit ourselves there and should continue doing the really challenging work of addressing our privilege where there are inequities.

“I have made mistakes around DEI, such as unintentionally hurting someone’s feelings through assuming their heritage. That was painful for me to accept, but I had to take responsibility and learn from that experience – there needs to be an acceptance that people aren’t always going to get it right.

“There is a liberation that comes from this acceptance as it allows me to focus on growth and curiosity without fear of judgement or shame because I am clear in my intentions and can be held accountable for them.”

Robinson joined IEMA’s People of Colour (PoC) Network last year, which she describes as “transformational” after finding a community of like-minded individuals to share experiences and challenges with.

She adds: “Ultimately, I would like to thank IEMA’s CEO, Sarah Mukherjee MBE, for being committed to this agenda and creating spaces for these conversations. I hope to continue seeing the Diverse Sustainability Initiative and the PoC Network grow and thrive.”