Sustainability & The New Year Ahead, by Diana Verde Nieto

CO-FOUNDER & CEO OF POSITIVE LUXURY

1. Briefly tell us about your journey toward living a more sustainably minded life and when it became an important part of it.
   My surname is Verde – which means green – so I guess it was writing in the stars that sustainability should my profession 🙂 
   In all seriousness, living in Argentina, and growing up in dictatorship we did not know any other way of living other than a humble sustainable life. Coming to Europe opened my eyes to the fact that I could marry my business degree with “environmental technology”… from that the rest is history. I could not imagine a different way of life than being fully conscious of the world that we live in. 
   
   
2. Please suggest 2-3 intentions or practices that we can set for the year ahead and easily implement into our everyday routine to leave a lower footprint on the planet.
   Firstly - think before you act, secondly have a cooling period between wanting something and buying something, and thirdly, be kind to others every day. 
   
   
3. ...and some sources to keep up with climate and impact news and information.
   Gosh, too many to list! I read a lot of the industry newsletters and newspapers – also Netflix (check out "Kiss The Ground", great movie!). 
   I follow people like Christina Figueres – obsessed by her work – and my team – they are a fountain of knowledge.
   
   
4. How do you shop more mindfully or purposefully?
   I believe there are three easy considerations everyone can implement when shopping. Firstly, ask yourself, do I really need this? And if the answer is yes, then look for social and environmental certifications so you can ensure the product has had limited negative impacts. Finally think about, how long you will use it for, can it be recycled, repaired or resold?
   
   
5. What hopes – that could better aid our Earth and Climate – do you have for the year ahead? 
   A friend of mine once said that hope is not a strategy… and I love that. At Positive Luxury, we work with luxury brands, like AERA, that are committed to having a positive impact for people and the planet. We are currently scaling our work to reach more brands globally, which will help measure and accelerate positive impact in order to achieve net-zero and net-positive by 2050.
   
   
6. We'd love to hear your thoughts on AERA and our measurability and impact practices.
   As you know we have been working the AERA team for months. AERA has been awarded the Butterfly Mark because not only do they understand their impact and dependencies on the natural world, but they also have the important notions of minimizing environmental footprint and maximizing your social good embedded into their business. This is an essential foundation to have for long term sustainable business growth. It is a fantastic brand, founded by three inspiring individuals.