Thought Leader:
Allana Black ESG Lead at mCloud Technologies Corp.
It seems that these days you can’t open your iPhone without the words “climate change” and “sustainability” flashing across the screen. Yes, environmental awareness is the topic of the day. This might be even more true for those working in the oil and gas industry, like Allana Black, ESG Lead at mCloud Technologies Corp., a Calgary-based company that creates software to help organizations implement energy-efficient, sustainable solutions.
Black has worked in the oil and gas sector for 21 years but her interest in environmental sustainability goes back even further. “Being a B.C. girl, I've always had that kind of reduction, limit, and recycle mindset, from very early on,” she explains over video conference from Calgary. It’s natural for her to consider things from a business and economic standpoint, and to make it a priority to use less, consume less and ultimately pay less.
Over the last two decades, Black says she’s witnessed the progression of a more sustainable mindset, along with more environmentally conscious solutions being implemented in the oil and gas sector. “But I think it's time for our industry to showcase those innovations, those reduction strategies, those efficiencies, the elimination, substitution and everything they've been doing in the last many years,” she says.
The desire to share these innovations within the oil and gas sector—and beyond—is what led Black to pivot her career to focus on Environmental and Social Governance (ESG), and technology.
Black says one of the greatest blocks organizations face to implementing eco-solutions is understanding and measuring their energy consumption and waste streams. The other obstacle is having the right motivation and structures in place to simply get started.
Companies say, “We don't know where to start, we don't have the experience and we don't have the knowledge set,” Black explains. “And a lot of thought and leadership needs to go into planning your ESG and your sustainability journey from all levels of the company, not just the C-Suite forcing it on,” she continues. In other words, for sustainable solutions to be implemented effectively, there needs to be buy-in from all leaders, on all levels.
With its cutting-edge software solutions that draw on data analytics and artificial intelligence, mCloud Technologies Corp. is here to help organizations navigate all of this. The company partners with clients and customers to help them optimize existing assets to ensure reliable, safe and sustainable operations. mCloud also supports organizations as a thought leader on the subject of ESG.
Black is excited for how mCloud will help organizations minimize their environmental footprints in 2022. The company has established new ESG and digital hubs in Houston, Saudi Arabia and Calgary and is bringing its Clean Indoor Air Quality tech into building spaces as employees return to work after pandemic lockdowns. In 2022, mCloud will also be working on digitizing the oil and gas industry, connecting hundreds of thousands of assets with the goals of improved efficiencies, better carbon reduction strategies and more powerful decision-making.
Black acknowledges that championing greener solutions within organizations won’t always be easy, and that it will require commitment and focus. For those up for the challenge, she has these words of advice:
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Start with a conversation, and learn what your peers and customers are up to in the ESG and sustainability space.
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Discover what your vendors and suppliers are offering to their customers in regards to ESG or sustainability items.
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Because ESG has to make business sense, frame your ideas and your conversations with the bottom line in mind in order to gain traction.
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Implement “Smart” building solutions. Regulate lighting and temperatures, especially in a hybrid work environment. This will help companies save emissions, energy and money.
And don’t get discouraged, Black advises. “Sustainability or ESG is a journey, not a race, and it takes time to understand what the path is that you want to take, to allocate resources, to execute the plan, and then power up technology to help you along the way. You can find the right ones that fit your business needs,” she says.
To learn more about mCloud Technologies Corp. visit https://mcloudcorp.com
Tags: ESG