ENGAGE Blog
Welcome to the ENGAGE blog! Here, you will find articles about all things sustainability communication, strategy and Mike’s personal insights.
Hower Impact fires the fossil fuel industry
Hower Impact has signed the Clean Creatives pledge. This means we won’t work with the fossil fuel industry — now or ever.
How sustainability storytelling changes the world
On Earth Day 2024, Mike reflects on the power of sustainability storytelling through his own origin story on an island chain off the coast of Panama.
Reflections of a sustainability solopreneur one year in
Hower Impact is officially one year old. Here are some reflections on what happened in the first year of business.
Adobe's Kati Kallins shares 2024 ESG trends in tech
In this Quick Connect, Mike gets the scoop on ESG trens in tech from Adobe’s Kati Kallins.
Rethinking the role of the sustainability communicator
New regulations call for a new breed of communication and sustainability professional. Here’s how it looks.
Video: A message from Mike about personal sustainability
Finding personal sustainability is key to success working in corporate sustainability.
Talking sustainability storytelling trends with Toyota’s Becky Martin
In this Quick Connect, Mike gets to the bottom of sustainability communication trends in the auto industry with one of Toyota’s sustainability leads.
2024 sustainable beauty communication trends with fractional CSO Maggie Spicer
In this Quick Connect, Mike chats with beauty sustainability expert Maggie Spicer about 2024 trends in beauty sustainability communication.
Analyzing AI and ESG with Microsoft's Matt Sekol
Quick Connects are brief but beneficial conversations Mike Hower conducts with leaders in sustainability and ESG about a variety of sustainability communication topics. In this first episode, Mike speaks with Matt Sekol, Sustainability Global Blackbelt at Microsoft.
Communicating sustainability without ticking off lawyers or regulators
Quick Connects are brief but beneficial conversations Mike Hower conducts with leaders in sustainability and ESG about a variety of sustainability communication topics. In this first episode, Mike speaks with Christine Uri, “The ESG Lawyer.”
Accelerating corporate climate ambition at VERGE 23
I recently headed to VERGE in San Jose to lead a discussion about corporate climate ambition with Environmental Defense Fund, Salesforce the Department of Energy and the former head of sustainability at Lyft.
5 fundamentals of effective sustainability writing
Writing is a lost art in corporate sustainability. Here’s five fundamentals for reclaiming it.
3 life lessons from climbing Kilimanjaro with cancer survivors
Climbing to the top of Kilimanjaro for cancer research was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Here’s some of the lessons I learned along the way.
SmartBrief Podcast: The Tricky Business of Communicating Sustainability
I recently went on the SmartBrief podcast to discuss how companies can more effectively communicate sustainability.
Moving mountains for multiple myeloma
In September 2023, I am summiting Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer my father is fighting. I need your help to get there.
GreenBiz: 4 strategies for elevating internal ESG engagement
Increasing internal knowledge and engagement on ESG is crucial for companies working to advance social and environmental progress. At GreenFin 23, I led a panel discussion with experts across industries to better understand how organizations can be successful at this. Check out my GreenBiz write up of the panel.
GreenBiz: 3 reasons to be optimistic about climate tech in the second half of 2023
Climate tech has had a roller coaster of a year, but there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic. In this GreenBiz article, I explore three positive trends for climate tech in 2023.
GreenBiz: Why your ESG report isn’t enough
We live in the era of the ESG report, but companies must go beyond it to effectively tell their sustainability stories.
GreenBiz: Why communicating on climate is so hard
In this GreenBiz article, Mike Hower writes about how we can use storytelling to better engage stakeholders on the climate crisis.
4 reasons your sustainability story sucks (and why there’s hope for it yet)
Talking about sustainability isn’t easy. Here’s how to do better.