There are amazing social changing stories found on Changents.com. Changents, partnered with Timberland and EarthKeepers, promotes eco-Heroes (and their adventures) in the hopes of gathering supporters from around the globe. As part of the Earthkeepers Movement, you can team-up with some of the most exciting, up-and-coming eco-Change Agents out there! This is a great opportunity for you to make a personal connection with emerging agents of change and be part of their extended teams.
Adding to our list of Heroes whom I have had the privialge to interview, I would like to introduce London based ec0-amassador, Cate Trotter
Cate Trotter (a.k.a. the “Green Insider”) is a 25-year-old sustainability trend-spotter and “greentrepreneur” with the inside track on who’s leading the environmental revolution and how to join them. Cate not only inspires individuals, but also advises businesses on how to go green. She is sharing stories on her journey to discover cutting-edge developments emerging from London’s “green scene” including environmentally friendly design break-throughs, eco-architectural feats, ethical fashion trends, green technology innovations, and Gen Y eco-conscious culture spanning from art to nightlife.
She’s been described as a ‘renaissance woman’ (Cate drums, DJs, writes, does all the graphic and web design for her businesses, and was a clown for a little while too) and hence she has her (seemingly numerous) business thumbs in a number of green pies. Insider Trends, is Cate’s consultancy that combines her knowledge of what’s great and green with marketing strategy expertise. She takes businesses out and about, giving them powerful first-hand experience of the best initiatives.
Earth Promise: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your involvement in the environmental “movement.”
Cate Trotter: I’m a green trendspotter and entrepreneur. One of my businesses, Insider Trends, shows businesses the latest, coolest ways to attract customers whilst improving their sustainability. It does this through delivering trend tours of leading green stores and products, or giving behind-the-scenes looks at some of London’s greenest buildings.
The other business, Insider London, offers a ‘Cutting-Edge Green Tour’ which is a three-hour crash course in a broad range of green London initiatives. This includes buildings with green roofs, completely biodegradeable fashion shoes, a really funky sustainable restaurant, London’s first five-star green hotel, and more.
Both businesses work to inspire by showing people the best of what others are achieving now.
EP: What changes, or Earth Promises as we call them, have you made in your lifestyle to be greener? Changes in home, travel, work, and your community?
CT: I’ve made a wide range of pretty unglamourous changes – I share a house with 3 other people, I don’t own a car and walk whenever possible, the things I buy are generally second-hand. I took part in Timberland’s Serv-a-Palooza this year – it was a day of volunteering to help improve a community park – it was great fun.
EP: Were you “green” as a child?
CT: Not so much as a child, but I became aware of how important sustainability is when I was 17, studying design at college. Most of my work since then has aimed to make the world more sustainable in one way or other.
EP: What was your first, “aha!” Green moment?
CT: Can I pick biggest, rather than first? Some of my biggest have been consciously realising why sustainable design can make us happier than any other kind of design, and the huge sustainability implications of redesigning an entire system, rather than simply the objects within it. Other good ‘Aha’ moments come from reading the work of Edwin Datchefski – he has a marvellous way of boiling a hugely complicated subject down to its fundamental parts, without ever oversimplifying it. Check out his ‘80% More Sustainable in One Day’ PDF on his site, and his book ‘The Total Beauty of Sustainable Products’. They’re great.
EP: What led you to take design and eco-design courses at Goldsmiths College, University of London?
CT: The fact that there was no other course like it. I think there was only one other eco-design course in the country at the time. The Goldsmiths course suited me to the ground – it was multidisciplinary, and I am a Jack of all trades; it was challenging, and I need to be stimulated; and it was based in London, a city which continues to blow my mind.
EP: Sometimes if a message is played over too much, consumers will tend to ignore it after a while or tune it out or turn against it. How can green Evangelists be more effective in making sure we are relevant but not overbearing? This includes sites like Earth Promise and others as well as people in media, music, advocacy, politics, education and more.
CT: Hmm, I’m not sure customers do switch off to particular messages – one of the ads I saw most recently featured a fast red car and a glamourous lady, suggesting that if men bought a particular product they’d be more attractive as a result. That message has been around for years!! I think it’s a case of finding the green message that really, truly works. Personally, I think this will be focusing on what genuinely makes us happy, and encouraging people to deepen their connections with others rather than trying to become more desirable by owning objects that few other people have. The relevant message comes by focusing on what actually makes people happy and showing how sustainable products and systems can meet that better than any other approach. It can be done!
EP: What are some of the things that anger you or drive you crazy that you see people do that hurt the environment?
CT: Businesses who label things ‘green’ when really they’re ‘more sustainable’ upsets me. Obviously these products are needed as they’re a step in the right direction, but it’s pretty easy for a professional to see how it’s still contributing to environmental degradation. I worry that the average consumer thinks that buying something labelled ‘green’ is enough to avoid climate change, whereas a huge amount of change is needed. Don’t get me wrong, these products are an important part of the solution, but I just worry their labelling oversimplifies things for people who are struggling to get to grips with the scale of the problem. Products labelled ‘green’ make me feel we’re burying our heads in the sand sometimes, rather than tackling the problem with the gravity that’s really needed.
EP: You appear quite busy! InsiderTrends (the fast track to killer business ideas) and Insider London (private tours of the best of modern London) are two of your successful businesses. Can you tell us about these companies and what types of companies/individuals request your eco-expertise?
CT: Hopefully, I described the businesses well enough when I introduced myself. Insider Trends has worked with a broad range of very exciting clients, including some household-name global brands from the electronics, apparel, transport and alcohol industries, amongst others. We devised a ‘Sustainable Communities’ tour for the advisers of one of the world’s leading architects, and took a well-known creative agency on an in-depth tour of some of London’s most groundbreaking green buildings. We’ve shown a government agency some of the actions that individuals are taking to make their offices more eco-friendly. We’ve also had a steady stream of self-employed designers and students take the Insider London’s Cutting-Edge Green Tour.
So yes, we are very busy, but loving it and growing!
EP: While we are being hurt by the climate crisis right now, the next generations are in big trouble if we don’t take action. How can green strategists, like yourself, inspire others to be involved and help the environment?
CT: The inspiration we provide comes from showing people the huge range of exciting things that are happening now. As a consultant, you can often make suggestions to people, and they can find it very difficult to turn these ideas into action. The tours we deliver show that action can be taken, and not only that, that it can attract customers, build advocacy and loyalty, and hugely increase profits. Showing that it works financially can be a huge source of inspiration!
EP: How did you get involved in Timberlands Changents program?
CT: Changents approached me to become one of their London-based Earthkeeper Heroes. It’s been a great opportunity, I’ve met some great people through the program, including Project Dirt (the other London EK Heroes) and Jeff Swartz, the CEO of Timberland. They’re both a massive inspiration to me so I’m thrilled to have met them.
EP: I saw your video on Youtube, for the “Spot Green Contest.” Can you tell us about this project?
CT: The ‘Spot Green Contest’ asked people from around the world to submit a green initiative that they thought was a trend. Interesting, many of the ideas focused on Portland in the States! What I found most exciting about the competition was hearing how ideas that I’d previously only read about have now become reality and are making a real difference in their communities. It’s exciting stuff.
EP: What message would you give others who want to spread their eco-ideas?
CT: Go for it! The internet makes it easier than ever to publish your ideas or build on those of others. I’d try and take as much action as possible, too, though – ideas are important but mean nothing without action. That’s why Project Dirt is so great – it’s a social network for people to share ideas and encourage and support each other as they take action. Well worth checking out!
EP: When travelling and going on your eco-tours, have you taken any steps to green your travelling routine, including getting around, and equipment in general?
CT: Most of our tours are walking tours. If we do need to move faster through the city, we use public transport, or take a Green Tomato Car. Green Tomato is one of our partners – it’s the carbon-neutral taxi service with a fleet that consists solely of Toyota Prius hybrid cars.
EP: What is the one Earth Promise you are going to make in the future that you have not done yet?
CT: I’d really like to go back to being vegetarian, as it makes a huge difference to our sustainability as individuals. I eat a lot of my food out and if you don’t plan you just end up eating things covered in congealed cheese, but I think I just need to plan a bit better to achieve this.
EP: I’m sure all of the projects you have accomplished have a special place in your heart, but was there one that was more personal?
CT: I think Insider London’s Cutting-Edge Green Tour has been the most important project so far – it formed the foundation of both Insider London’ and Insider Trends’ offering. I devised and delivered the tour completely alone, launching it before I had any idea of whether it would work or how the businesses would even survive. Feedback was much, much better than I ever would have imagined, showing me that if you give your all to something and let your enthusiasm shine through, success will follow.
EP: Thank you so much. I hope to come to London one day and participate in your tour!
