For Dianne Llarena, sustainability is not just a passing trend nor a form of compliance—it’s a movement.

     After taking up Mining and Mineral Engineering in college, Dianne worked as a Pollution Control Officer and Integrated Management System (IMS) Coordinator—a role that allowed her to gain greater insight on the relationship between mining and the environment. Her experience at work drove her to go beyond herself—to do something more than just raise awareness within the company and comply with external standards. “I was really interested in how responsible mining can be further embedded into the practices of mining companies here in the Philippines,” she said. This desire compelled her to go the extra mile and take up further studies.

     Dianne’s decision to master in Environment and Natural Resource Management proved to be of great use and impact to her, as she was exposed to more topics which brought about more questions that she had never considered before. She learned the importance of waste management processes, human-to-environment relationships, and environmental-economic dynamics at a deeper level. These experiences allowed her to become much more knowledgeable about environmental sustainability, and in turn, pushed her to achieve greater things in the workplace. 

     Dianne was pressed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) when she joined CleanTech Global Renewables as their ESG & Finance Officer. She had to study, read, attend webinars, and talk to ESG consultants about sustainability and renewable energy. Though learning about ESG was a challenge given that she has been in Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) management for a considerable amount of time, it was a challenge she wholeheartedly accepted. Dianne shared, “The whole learning process made me appreciate more about the efforts being built for a sustainable future.”

     She also learned how ESG can further support EHS practices as it requires transparent disclosures on business processes; ESG policies, initiatives, and outlook; carbon neutrality; greenhouse gas emissions; as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.

     This, in addition to EHS’s environment-centric work focusing on regulatory compliance, will allow companies to make better decisions and create better outcomes. It was her experiences with the company that motivated her to make sustainability her advocacy.

     Now with Ernst & Young Global Delivery Services (Consulting Services) Philippines, Inc. for Climate Change & Sustainability Services, Dianne believes the potential impact of working in a consulting firm enables more corporations to dive deeper into ESG, receive support to better their advocacies, and consequently create long-term value. While there are more companies now that see the value of sustainability, there are still many things to improve on—and those improvements are what Dianne and her team focus on. 

     While many are often shocked at Dianne’s shift from studying to become a mining engineer to working and volunteering as a sustainability practitioner, Dianne sees it as an awakening.