Green Women: A call to the evolution

LIFE tends to come full circle. This is certainly the case for Lucy Gaffney, whose first ever newspaper feature was in WoW! in The Echo, some 20 years ago when she launched her first business in Togher.

She still has the newspaper cutting, proudly marking the start of her entrepreneurial journey in the life sciences, but now her focus is on something that fills her with a sense of purpose: conservation.

Lucy leverages her considerable skills-set to lead Business for Biodiversity Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation that helps businesses transition towards a nature-positive way of working. This move is, in many ways, the fulfillment of her childhood dreams and ambitions.

I’ve just always been really ionate about nature and conservation. When I was a child, that’s what I wanted to do.

After considerable success as an entrepreneur, she subsequently sold her businesses and transitioned to a corporate career. This swiftly gave way to life-changing reflections triggered against the backdrop of Covid-19. The catalytic nature of this time brought transformative change to her life.

“Everyone had that moment of self-reflection - I certainly did, where I was questioning what do I really want to be doing with my energy and my time? I went back to what my real ions are, and they are nature and conservation. And I said, how can I pivot into this space now?”

A two-year part-time UCC diploma in Environment, Sustainability, and the launch of her consultancy business Wild Plan ensued, leading her to the role she now thoroughly enjoys.

”I just absolutely love the work that I’m doing. It is intensely challenging and really interesting. For the first time in my career, I feel that I have a strong sense of purpose.”

She took an unusual path to arrive at her current career, but reflects that this journey has developed the unique skills- set that she puts to full use in her current role.

“I found this role with Natural Capital Ireland, and it just seemed to perfectly blend all the things, skills, interests, and ions that I have. It’s also an entrepreneurial role, which suits me completely down to the ground because that’s, in essence, what I’m about.”

It hasn’t been all plain sailing for this type-A achiever, though. She has grappled with a common issue for those changing careers.

For a long time, I had a slight little whiff of imposter syndrome. But now I’m like, no, I get it, I understand the intricacies.

She speaks with openness about her mental health challenges, a common phenomenon in the sustainability industry that is becoming synonymous with burn-out.

“I was pedal to the metal for the first year and a half, and I completely burned out. I had to take a step back; I nearly stepped away from it because I thought this was way too much. I had to find an equilibrium. The way that I achieve this is by working four days a week, so I don’t work on Fridays.”

With her kids in school on Fridays, she recharges her battery doing what she loves.

“Gardening is being harmonious with the land, the space that I share with these other creatures and plants. That is my happy place. I have a potting shed and grow some vegetables. It’s just me, my dog, and sometimes my cat, and that’s how I blow off steam, and it’s a hugely mindful exercise as well.”

Arising from the ashes of burn-out with learnings about self-care is what enables this talented leader to shine bright again. Making time and space for self-care is now a priority: “I’ve had mental health issues. I’ve suffered with anxiety, and I’ve had to manage those things, and it’s really about finding that balance and finding what works for you.”

Her journey to understanding her own limits and the necessity for balance, recharging, and self-care reflects in many ways what the Business for Biodiversity platform seeks to achieve: a regenerated natural environment in which we live within the confines of its generous limits.

She wants everyone to be more aware of biodiversity, beyond the wildflowers and the bees that are usually touched on.

“Biodiversity is about our life system on the planet. It’s about the services that are provided to us and nature’s contribution to our species to keep us healthy. That’s what we’re protecting, you know? So, this is not about saving the planet. The planet would be all right. 

It’s , actually. It’s about our health, saving our species, and making sure that the planet can continue to sustain us.

Climate change and biodiversity loss are intertwined, “circling the drain together,” and she argues against the siloing of causes into separate camps.

Ultimately, the triad of challenges, biodiversity, climate, and social justice, are inextricably linked, and Lucy is confident that “when we solve one, we’ll solve them all”.

While some businesses are taking steps through wildflower gardens and hives, the real work and what needs priority is changing how they operate to reduce their impact.

Lucy provides an example of a hypothetical furniture store in Cork, assessing where the wood comes from for their furniture.

With a strong business head on her shoulders, she is quick to share that the work of the platform “isn’t so much about you have to run your business so it does absolutely no environmental damage. That’s not realistic. What we’re looking for here is a mode of operation that is within those planetary boundaries.”

When I ask about the future, her Cork rebel spirit becomes apparent when she mentions sustainability as the next great revolution, with one of the hashtags for the platform she leads boldly commanding #TheEvolution. She sees our best future as “moving into circular ways of thinking and moving into working within those planetary boundaries.”

She views the sustainability revolution coupled with the technological revolution as the intertwined forces that will shape our future between now and 2050.

Her new line of work has helped her develop a new and now frequently used skill, with a hectic schedule of speaking engagements.

“At the very beginning, it was great because, very quickly, I was thrust forward to be the voice, and I was pushed up onto the stage to talk about it. 

It’s not a position I was comfortable in at the beginning; it’s not something I had a lot of experience doing, but I slotted into it, and I enjoy it now.”.

She is a strong advocate for her county and wishes more of her work was based here.

I’m trying to do more work-related things (in Cork) because it’s much easier for me, but also because it’s Ireland’s second biggest city, which needs to be part of the conversation.

As our interview draws to a close, I can’t help but wonder what she will achieve over the next 20 years.

With this rising sustainability star at the helm of our national platform, the future certainly looks brighter for biodiversity.

ABOUT WILD PLAN

Wild Plan is a business biodiversity consultancy established in 2021 by Lucy Gaffney, an Irish bioscientist and entrepreneur.

They work with a range of businesses across multiple sectors, helping them to understand their role in addressing the biodiversity crisis and assisting them with developing a meaningful and impactful biodiversity strategy, that delivers benefits for business, society and the environment.

Wild Plan is currently the lead developer of Ireland’s national business and biodiversity platform, Business for Biodiversity Ireland, a three-year project due for completion in 2024.

See https://wildplan.ie/

ABOUT BUSINESS FOR BIODIVERSITY IRELAND

Established in 2022, Business for Biodiversity Ireland is driving the transition to a nature-positive Irish economy, where activities enhance natural systems in addition to minimising impact, by harnessing the energy and innovation capacity of Irish businesses.

Business for Biodiversity Ireland is a biodiversity initiative without political affiliation or agenda other than to contribute to the realisation of Ireland’s Vision for Biodiversity: By 2050, biodiversity in Ireland is valued, conserved, restored and sustainably used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.

For more on Business for Biodiversity Ireland, see https://businessforbiodiversity.ie/