Meet Ian Appleton: Sustainability specialist, book lover and LCA advocate.
Ian is part of our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) team and is based in Christchurch, New Zealand. He works with clients to help them understand the environmental impact of their products and services and find ways to reduce it. With a background that spans forestry, academia and environmental science, Ian brings a unique perspective and deep commitment to sustainability.
Why did you choose a career in sustainability?
There’s been a natural progression through my working life that’s led me here. I’ve always been interested in geography and biology, especially anything related to the outdoors and the natural world. After school, I joined the forest industry, first with the New Zealand Forest Service and later in corporate forestry. That experience gave me a solid understanding of both production and environmental forestry.
Later, I pursued academic goals, earning a Master’s in History and a Postgraduate Diploma in Science and Technology. The papers I took for the PGDip focused on environmental science and geography, so in a way, I circled back to my original interests from high school.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in sustainability?
Education. When I talk to people outside the sustainability space about life cycle assessment, carbon cycles and environmental impacts, I’m often met with blank looks.
There’s a lack of widespread understanding of the fundamental principles of sustainability, and why they matter. Without that understanding, it’s difficult to create large-scale, meaningful change.
Local actions like home recycling and planting riparian zones are a great start, but we need to scale up our efforts to influence national and global policy. That means building critical social mass, which starts with education. If I could design a sustainability curriculum, I’d include planetary accounting, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and consumption.
Is there a book or podcast you'd recommend, and why?
I love books! As a child, we didn’t have a TV until I was a teenager- so books ruled. My parents were avid readers, and our home was full of books: Mum loved history, and Dad liked technical things. That influence has stuck with me (and so has the book collection!).
It’s hard to choose just one, so here are five books that have shaped my view of how humanity got to where we are today:
Guns Germs and Steel by Jarred Diamond
A profound exploration of what makes us human. Recommended to me by two wise men.
A compelling look at the unstoppable nature of human progress and the challenges of creating change.
Doughnut Economics – Kate Raworth
A fresh critique of economic theory and a hopeful alternative.
Ravenous – Henry Dimbleby
A sobering examination of our food systems and how they’re driving us toward crisis.
Capital and Ideology – Thomas Piketty
An insightful look at inequality and societal structures. I picked it up again recently after changes to New Zealand’s pay equity legislation.
