#6 - Siddarth Das - WWF, Earth Hour & Digital Engagement for Social Impact

Siddarth Das is the Director of Digital Engagement at WWF International and the Executive Director of WWF’s Earth Hour. Earth Hour is a very interesting campaign in the way that it’s run. Actually, WWF and their online communication in general is quite outstanding. The panda brand is recognized almost everywhere. So, it was interesting when Sid mentioned some common misconceptions about what WWF actually does, but also, how they’re using digital media tools for education and to support their social impact work. There’s a lot to talk about in this interview so I hope you enjoy!

 

Favourite quote from episode:

“It is everyone’s collective problem and it’s everyone’s collective solutions that are going to fix it as well. It’s not a single government or just a few people in the policy or business world that are going to fix this. Climate change is the most universal problem that we have and it’s the most universal issue that we have. And the solution for that is going to come from all of us” – Sid [14:20]

 

People/ items mentioned in this episode:

• Earth Hour
• WWF International
• WWF Singapore, Earth Hour – Haze Campaign
• Earth Hour Sri Lanka Campaign
• WWF Russia, Earth Hour – Protect Russian Seas Campaign

 

Get in contact with Sid on Twitter, LinkedIn or Email

 

[Download the MP3 here]

 

Show notes

• “It was always meant to be a six-month gig, and seven and half years, I’m still here” [06:00]
• How does an initiative like Earth Hour create change? [06:15]
• Earth Hour and WWF International work with corporations around the world in innovative ways. Sid gives us some examples of these partnerships and what they entailed. (Shoutout to Serena Tan for this question! Have a question that you’d like me to ask in a future interview? Get in touch!) [16:30]
• Digital engagement at WWF: streamlining, amplifying & localizing global communications [21:25]
• Sid urges people to think about careers in social impact - “When you balance everything out, the social enterprise world or the NGO world actually offers quite a bit of movement for people to come in to and experience just one different side of it” [33:05]
• Looking in to the future of WWF: partnerships, technology & innovation [40:27]
• Sid dishes out some useful advice [45:47]
• Three Things [49:21]

 

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Let me know in the comments!