Ni Huan: Creating a sustainable tomorrow in China
We speak with women leaders in East Asia and the Pacific who are working to advance gender equality today for a sustainable future. Ni Huan is the founder of Green Lightyear, a Chinese environmental advocacy organization that promotes green lifestyles in communities, schools, and businesses in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Shandong provinces, and practices sustainable development education (ESD) in Eastern China.
What inspired you to start working for the environment?
I first gained and practiced my knowledge and skills in environmental protection when I worked in Sichuan on a UK-assisted state-owned enterprise reform project between 2000 and 2004. Here, I learned the concepts of "sustainability" and "corporate Social responsibility (CSR)" from a team of UK experts.
Building on this, when I worked with a local auto parts manufacturer in Chengdu in 2002, I experienced first-hand the benefits of applying HSE (Health, safety and environment) standards and witnessed the company's profits increase, reputation improve and staff turnover decrease. From this experience, I learned that the triple bottom line of "people, profit and planet" can be achieved simultaneously. It was a real business case that inspired me a lot.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would you choose?
Persistent, creative, and empathetic
This year's theme is "Gender Equality Today for Sustainable Development Tomorrow". In your opinion, what is the connection between climate change and gender equality?
I think women are by nature the healing species of the world. Empathy and caring seem to be inherent in women of all ages and cultures around the world. When catastrophic events caused by climate change occur at an ever-increasing rate every day, no woman can remain indifferent to what they see. If women are given more opportunities to participate in decision-making and mobilize resources for intervention, they will be able to hold up "half the sky" and reduce the disasters currently being imposed on our next generation.
As an environmental leader in China, what do you think about climate change? What changes do you think need to be made?
China has demonstrated its responsibility as a great power by demonstrating and implementing strong climate policies and committing to curbing climate change. For example, more than seven years ago, I installed China's first CIGS thin-film solar power station in my home, which was made possible by subsidizing and selling the surplus electricity produced by the plant. Even now, I still get income from state subsidies and from selling electricity to the national grid.
On a global scale, the endless pursuit of profit without thinking about or taking sustainable action is the main cause of the unintended negative consequences we are seeing negatively affecting the world, including climate change. We need to shift our consumption habits to sustainable production and consumption and introduce more "cradle-to-cradle" product design and knowledge transfer to reduce our environmental and carbon footprint. China has a history of more than 5,000 years, and thrift used to be a precious value in our culture. We need to recapture these good qualities and integrate more traditional sustainability values into our schools, communities and businesses.
What can we do to better improve gender equality?
To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality), institutionalized change and gender-friendly decision-making processes with the participation of women are needed. I noticed that nearly 80% of the employees of social organizations in China are women. I believe that empowering social organizations and involving these professionals in a range of decision-making processes can have a better impact on improving gender equality.
What does good leadership mean to you?
From my experience, having strategic insight, empathy for team members, and excellent time management skills are essential elements of being a leader. However, a leader should have a strong sense of both doing well and doing right.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned as a leader?
As a leader, we can't change, can't please everyone, and especially realize that we can't wake up a faker. We need to direct our limited energy and resources to the right groups. Empowering the right target audience and working with the right partners is the most rewarding and inspiring experience. In fact, children and young people have always had good hopes for the world, and their potential to create a better world is amazing and powerful.
What do you think needs to be done to ensure that more women end up in leadership positions in China?
Green Lightyear is an organization that does sustainability education. I found that there are not many original children's books in our country to promote gender equality in China. That's a problem. In the process of growing up, girls should obtain the "spiritual nutrition" of girls' self-esteem, self-awareness and gender equality. Our schools have limited resources and capacity to provide such skills and gender equality training to children and adolescents. Over the past five years, we have had more than 300 university student volunteers working with us at Green Lightyear, 80% of whom are women. Colleges and universities should strengthen career support and mental health support for female college students and professional women.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I have enjoyed meeting students (of all ages) who have changed their thinking and learning patterns by working and playing with us in our educational programs. Seeing how ESD can transform one person's mindset and life, and the wider impact it has on others, is a very fulfilling experience.
Do you have any advice for women?
Be strong. Read more books to be stronger.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a leader? What are your hopes and plans for the future?
My time with my daughter and other family members is very limited. How to achieve work-life balance is the biggest challenge I face now.
I want my two-year-old daughter to grow up happy and free from fear and discrimination.
I plan to raise funds to set up a public interest working group to develop a series of children's books to introduce Chinese children to the role model of the "Unusual girl" and inspire girls to live full and meaningful lives.
** The views expressed by the interviewees in the interviews do not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank Group.
No. 41, Beijing East Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing
Nanjing China
