Description

In this episode of CarbonSessions, we welcome Dr. Diane Osgood, sustainability strategist and author of Your Shopping Superpower. Diane has spent decades working at the intersection of business, sustainability, and consumer behavior. Through her work, she explores how everyday purchasing decisions can influence markets and drive meaningful environmental change.

Diane shares how volunteering early in her career sparked her passion for environmental stewardship and eventually led her to focus on how companies and consumers interact within the sustainability ecosystem. She explains why businesses often struggle to balance sustainability goals with profitability and how consumer demand plays a critical role in accelerating change.

Together, we explore how shopping choices, transparency, and trust influence corporate behavior and why small individual actions can scale into powerful collective impact.

In this episode we discuss:

1. Diane’s journey into sustainability and environmental advocacy
2. Why consumer choices can influence corporate sustainability strategies
3. The role of certifications and labels in building trust
4. The challenge companies face balancing profit and sustainability
5. Why packaging, plastic waste, and everyday purchasing decisions matter
6. The gap between what consumers say they want and what they actually buy
7. How communities can influence change through collective action

Diane also reminds us that change doesn’t always start with governments or corporations—it often begins with individual choices that reshape markets.

About Diane Osgood

Dr. Diane Osgood is a sustainability expert, strategist, and author focused on helping businesses and consumers create positive environmental impact through informed choices

1. Your Shopping Superpower – available through major bookstores and independent booksellers

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Olabanji Stephen, Jenn Swanson, and Jennifer Myers Chua

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria. He’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work.

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer, and community Connector, helping people help themselves.

Joining us from Toronto, Jennifer Myers Chua helps organizations creating positive change make a bigger impact with better creative, smarter strategy, and thoughtful solutions.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Lilli Querker, Steve Heatherington, and Rob Slater.