Will Richardson, Founder of Green Element, spoke to Team Reblue about how meaningful action, systemic change and bridging the gap between environmentalists and external audiences can drive businesses to scale ethically and sustainably in today’s world.

Will Richardson's journey into sustainability began long before he founded Green Element in 2004. In fact, his first encounter with climate change advocacy dates back to 1990, when as a 15-year-old, he gave his first talk on the subject. His passion was nurtured by formative experiences like designing off-grid systems with his architect father, picking up litter during holidays under his grandmother's insistence, and observing the environmental consequences of human activity during his travels.

Over the years, Will has built Green Element around a core philosophy: working with people who live and breathe sustainability in their daily lives. Will’s leadership style emphasizes having uncomfortable conversations and bridging the gap between sustainability professionals and external audiences to foster systemic change.

As a trailblazer in the field, his advice to budding professionals is to dig deep into their ‘why’, ensuring every action is tied to meaningful outcomes. Whether inspiring organizations to commit resources to emissions reduction or helping businesses thrive sustainably, Will’s work is a testament to the idea that purpose-driven growth is not only possible but essential. 

In our series, 'Nine Questions With’, Will Richardson shares how purposeful action and systemic change can propel businesses beyond token gestures to achieve meaningful environmental progress. Read the full conversation below.

Team Reblue: Your journey into sustainability feels like it began with a spark of passion back in 2004 when you founded Green Element. What personal experiences or moments of revelation first drew you to this field, and how has your understanding of environmental responsibility evolved since those early days?

Will Richardson: Yeah, it kind of started back in 2004, but actually, I did my first talk on climate change when I was 15 years old in 1990, so 15 years prior to that. It was really experiential through my gran (grandmother) making us always pick up litter wherever we went, being on holiday in an off-grid caravan in the middle of Wales, and designing an off-grid practice with my dad, who was an architect. Travelling also allowed me to see the catastrophic problems humans had on the world,  that really incorporated an underlying belief that we needed to do something about anthropogenic climate change. 

"The more we have uncomfortable conversations with clients and reach out to people outside our network, the more systemic change we can create, which is what's needed."

Team Reblue: The world of sustainability can sometimes feel like an echo chamber, with passionate professionals talking mostly to each other. How can we bridge the gap and create more meaningful conversations that resonate beyond our own circles?

Will Richardson: It's an interesting one, isn't it? I think the more we have uncomfortable conversations with clients and reach out to people outside our network, the more systemic change we can create, which is what's needed. I’d like to think that I’ve been doing this long enough to avoid staying in my own echo chamber, though I’m sure I’m still part of the problem. Being aware of that and continuously pushing boundaries by speaking to people outside our usual circles is crucial.

"AI can help with low-hanging fruit—data collection, reporting, and manipulation—but nuanced and difficult decisions about business transformation will always require human expertise."

Team Reblue: As the founder of Green Element, you've pioneered a unique approach to sustainability consulting. Can you walk us through the core philosophy of your business? What sets Green Element apart in helping organizations transform their environmental performance, and what key achievements are you most proud of in your consultancy's journey?

Will Richardson: So the core philosophy is we only work with people, i.e. people who work for Green Element, people who work and think passionately about sustainability. Someone that walks into a room, into a restaurant, looks at the lights, and sees that they're all tungsten lights rather than LEDs, or goes into their grandmother's house and thinks, wow it's really hot in here. Doesn't go, oh it's hot in here. It must be nice for gran, although that's a lovely thing to think. But also thinks: wow, that's a lot of energy, I wonder if there's a way that we can heat this house without using so much of that electric heater. So on their day-to-day journey they're thinking about sustainability and absolutely everything that they touch. And that's how we have such a good culture within Green Elements because they can talk to our clients, and they can empathize with clients about what it is they're doing and how they're doing it. As for achievements, employing Nathan Wimble as our CEO has been a significant milestone. Getting our most recent investments has also been an achievement. And realising that now out of 86 clients we looked at, 74% increased their revenue over 3 years with an average annual growth of 19%. Among these clients, 34% managed to both reduce their total carbon emissions and grow their revenue by an average of 10% per year. Additionally, 49% of these clients reduced their carbon emissions relative to their revenue. This means that they were able to set goals and lower emissions while still accounting for their business growth. Basically, I'm just really proud that we're able to reduce our clients' emissions and allow them to grow at the same time. 

"Don’t assign a graduate one day a week to handle everything; it won’t work. Allocate at least 10% of your energy usage costs to sustainability efforts, and it will pay back."

Team Reblue: In an era increasingly shaped by technological innovation, how do you see artificial intelligence playing a transformative role in addressing sustainability challenges? Are there emerging AI technologies that excite you about our potential to create meaningful environmental change?

Will Richardson: I think a lot of reports, a lot of data collection, a lot of data manipulation and a lot of our work will be brought into the AI in adverse revolution. I think that all it is is using computers, intelligently to help us with our work and be able to put on. So all of the stuff you're working with a company that is fairly low-hanging fruit, I think we'll be able to use AIs and computers to be able to, pick out those and help write the reports that, and then use our brains to really think about the hard, truths about what a business should do. And it may be that a business needs to change the way that they do business. AI models at this moment in time will not be able to have intelligent conversations around quite nuanced and difficult things. 

"Understanding your emissions and the risks of not reducing them transcends all industries. Every sector needs to take this seriously."

Team Reblue: You've helped numerous organizations navigate their sustainability journey. What advice would you give to sustainability professionals who want to create lasting, tangible impact rather than just checking boxes?

Will Richardson: Think about ‘why’ you are doing it. Really delve into the reasons behind becoming more environmental/sustainable. Once you understand the ‘why,’ you can create a plan to address it meaningfully. Don't become more sustainable because you want to increase staff retention, because you'll be able to do more, so you'll be a better supplier for a company because they've asked for it. Because these two aren't connected. You'll be doing different things from an environmental point of view if you're trying to increase staff retention than you would be if you were to be answering and becoming a better supplier to a company. So really think about the ‘why’. 

"Think about ‘why’ you are doing it. Once you understand the ‘why,’ you can create a meaningful plan rather than just checking boxes."

Team Reblue: Corporate culture can be a powerful catalyst or a significant barrier to sustainability initiatives. Drawing from your work with organizations like Adam&EveDDB, what insights can you share about creating genuine, organization-wide commitment to environmental responsibility?

Will Richardson: Really getting to grips with what it is that your emissions are and making sure that you put enough time and people into your reduction strategy. Whether this is done in-house or outsourced doesn’t matter. What matters is commitment and follow-through. Don’t assign a graduate one day a week to handle everything, it won’t work. They could work one day a week on this, and they'll be able to do it all for us. That's not gonna cut the mustard. What you really need to do is make sure that you put resources into it, and it will pay back. And if you speak to any number of professionals in the industry, they'll be able to give you an idea of what that payback period would be and how much money you could do. As a rule of thumb, allocate at least 10% of your overall energy usage and put that money in straight away and that's what you'll be able to get back. But, obviously, it should be more than that, and I could prove that you can put in more money than that. 

Team Reblue: The renewable energy landscape has transformed dramatically since your university days. What breakthrough innovations or policy shifts do you believe are most crucial in accelerating our transition to a clean energy future?

Will Richardson: Decoupling energy pricing from fossil fuel pricing. Simple as. Once we do that, we will be able to see the true cost of renewables in the UK. It will help with the cost of living and allow us to grow exponentially within the energy sector. 

Team Reblue: Throughout your diverse experiences across different sectors, what universal principles have you discovered that seem to transcend industry boundaries when it comes to effective sustainability strategies?

Will Richardson: Understanding your emissions, understanding your risk of not understanding your emissions and not reducing them transcends all industries. Every sector needs to take this seriously.

"Decoupling energy pricing from fossil fuel pricing is crucial. Once we do that, we will see the true cost of renewables and accelerate growth."

Team Reblue: As you look towards the future, what legacy do you hope to leave behind? If you could shape the vision for our planet's environmental future, what would that look like, and what message of hope would you want to instill in the next generation of environmental stewards?

Will Richardson: Funnily enough, it's not necessarily environmental, but it's certainly sustainable. It’s about being able to grow a large business quickly, in a very ethical and sustainable way. That is what I want my legacy to be. I want to be able to say it is possible, however hard it may be within the parameters of our current capitalistic culture, boundaries, and economy. We can grow and scale a purpose-led business, and this is how you do it. And I will have done that. Along the way, helping organizations genuinely reduce emissions, rather than making token gestures, has been crucial. I've also had the privilege of meeting a huge number of lovely partners and friends, which, for me, is everything.