National Business, December 2023. «The new business environment requires new thinking».

"Being a lighthouse means directing your light as brightly as possible into the darkness," believes Marina E. di Cervini, publisher, documentary producer, speaker, media coach, entrepreneur, writer. Marina was educated in Law, Diplomacy, Journalism, Business, ESG. In the short version of the interview, Marina discussed ecological thinking and leadership in the field of sustainable projects. Projects in which our expert is a founder and partner seem to her like a game of chess that can be played endlessly. "Projects have no finish line," Marina adds.

NB: Marina, as someone whose professional path is linked with various aspects of sustainable development, how present are these principles in your personal life?

M.C.: Working in France, in the UN group preparing the climate change conference, and after graduating from London Business School with a focus on sustainable leadership, I realized that if you want to achieve results and bring the best you can to a project, you must bring ecological awareness into your own life. And I started changing absolutely everything, rethinking every step. And today I can speak as a woman who believes in the power of such changes. I would very much like to inspire and give everyone the opportunity to apply the principles of ecological, social, and corporate governance in their personal and professional lives, relying on legal, diplomatic aspects and respecting the traditions and customs of all stakeholders.

NB: How is the ESG strategy manifested in your business projects?

M.C.: By placing sustainable development at the core of your activities, you make bold steps towards a model that will provide a sustainable business advantage and measurable value. This approach makes possible the operational, cultural, and financial changes necessary to sustain your business in the future. The new business environment requires new thinking. My partners and I try to help small and medium businesses adapt, sharing our legal, accounting, and auditing experience with each client, creating a unique strategy for each business.

Recently, software providers for managing ESG projects have emerged on the global market. They offer a centralized system for tracking and reporting ESG factors aimed at increasing consistency, transparency, and the quality of corporate disclosure, sustainable investments, and ESG practices and financial products.

In recent years, organizations have faced growing challenges in addressing the ESG consequences of their activities, striving to balance conflicting international legislative requirements and societal expectations and stakeholders. The same questions always arise. Can ESG be not a dogma but a tool that gives managers the opportunity to prepare their organizations for the future and rethink these critical global problems as profitable and scalable growth opportunities for their companies? Can excellent financial results be achieved in combination with a positive social impact? Only time will give us suitable answers to these questions.

NB: Business is now actively building relationships with countries in the East and Asia. What does the shift towards the East in the field of sustainable development mean to you?

M.C.: At a conference in Asia, I emphasized the following: to understand the essence of ESG, we must bring it into our lives, offices, and production. We must become part of it and see the future in the long term right now in order to build it the way we want. And this is a very Eastern approach. For example, feng shui is very important in China. Essentially, feng shui is the oldest form of ESG, a form of relationships between people, nature, business, and all interconnected and interested parties. Eastern regions have enormous potential for sustainable development , and interaction opens doors to new perspectives, innovative approaches, and valuable long-term partnerships. Here, diplomacy plays an important role, as well as understanding the culture and specifics of doing business in the East and respecting their traditions. From my experience, having lived and worked in the East for a considerable amount of time, I can affirm this. As stated in the I Ching: "When running water encounters an obstacle in its path, it stops, increases its volume and strength, and then overflows it." And we must follow the example of water: stop and increase our strength until the obstacle no longer hinders us on our path.

NB: I know that you have studied the global experience of major responsible companies and are familiar with how ESG is evolving in countries. In your opinion, which is the most important letter in the trio – ESG?

M.C.: For me, all these capital letters are quite important. Environmental is foremost. But Social also plays a huge role. For example, my partners and I, after 1,400 hours of work, have created the software application 60plus.app, where people over 60 from around the world can easily and comfortably use the application from various devices, socialize, form clubs based on their interests, where advertising will be targeted for people over 60, and where investment proposals will find their followers. As some phycologists said, the brain is a very complex instrument, and the more complex tasks you give it, the more it rejuvenates. Our task was to prolong people's lives. After 60, a mature youth begins, in my opinion.

Wisdom and common sense are vitally important on our path to sustainable development. We must understand the interconnection of our actions and their consequences. We need to engage in ESG dialogue, maintaining generational connections from birth. By involving people over 60 in ESG, we win a game of chess, gaining experienced, professional, diplomatic, charismatic, and profound individuals, ready to build this bridge to a sustainable future. Thanks to continuous education and critical thinking, we can make informed decisions and inspire others to do the same. For example, our production of recycling cardboard boxes and foam fully meets sustainable ESG standards.

NB: I would like to talk more about personal practices that allow us to maintain ecological thinking amidst the hustle and bustle of our modern world. Is there a special recipe from Marina that we can implement in our lives to develop ecological thinking?

M.C.: Ecological thinking encourages us to view the world holistically, recognizing that everything is interconnected, and that our well-being as individuals and as a society is closely linked to the health of the planet. It prompts us to consider the broader implications of our choices and find innovative ways to live in harmony with nature. Here, the dominant question is consumption, as it is like a plague that has captured our consciousness. In my new documentary "ECOMIND," I want to highlight this issue, gathering interviews from scientists, professors, historians, professional and thoughtful people of different generations. In the film, I want to add humor. Remember how Stephen Hawking said, "My real dream is to write a book that would be sold at the airport. But for that, it seems, the publisher would need to put a picture of a woman on the cover." Incidentally, there is a Greenwashing Comedy Club in Paris.

I also talk about ecological thinking in my new book «The President’s adviser. Wisdom from the Arabian sand» about a fictional ecological country. I try to add ecological awareness to every step I take, starting at 5 am, practicing yoga, meditation, hardening. I subject my brain to external minimalism, but to depth and richness internally. Especially important to me is reading. I read a lot, using every free second, whether it's a printed book, an electronic one, or audio. As Warren Buffett said, "I read and think. This helps me make less impulsive decisions than most people in business."

NB: This year you joined the jury of the "Headliners of ESG principles" award. Why is the award an effective tool in highlighting green initiatives?

M.C.: Yes, the "Headliners of ESG principles" award is indeed an effective tool. I am very grateful for the invitation to be on the jury. All projects are unique and non-standard. ESG indeed requires such approaches in any business sphere—creative, innovative, preventive. For instance, in the field of real estate management, during the stage of project documentation development, sustainable indicators such as rainwater harvesting systems, vertical gardens, and even the production of renewable energy are included. The "Headliners of ESG principles" are individuals who can push the boundaries of what is possible, true leaders of change who create projects that are not only environmentally safe but also aesthetically pleasing and attractive.

NB: Marina, who do you see as the leaders of the new generation, in your view?

M.C.: They are professionals who can think outside the box. Today, we must see all the interdependent mechanisms on the map, we need to explore unique ideas, and we must adapt traditional norms in any field. For the younger generation to become leaders, it is also important to realize that a single fundamental education is not enough. Every year, I challenge my brain and study a variety of sciences at universities around the world, starting from deepening my knowledge in the department of international law in London to studying at the academy of neurolinguistics.

I am often asked what it takes to be a leader. And here's a brief piece of advice – be able to survive, adapt to new conditions, possess high administrative and communicative abilities, critical thinking, be inclined to self-irony, and most importantly, know how to respect yourself and others, placing intellect and humanity on a pedestal.