“Make your protest, your prototype” - A Systemic Perspective on ESG with Alexie Sommer
The Urgency of a New Perspective on ESG
By Verena Pessim | March 5, 2025
Alexie Sommer
I interviewed Alexie during the week of the U.S. elections—an intense time for those striving to create a world with fewer social and environmental imbalances. She brought a systemic perspective, leaving me inspired and hopeful.
Alexie encourages us to deeply consider the world we inhabit. For her, ESG is not just a set of corporate metrics but part of our connection with people and the planet —a view we share. She believes the solution lies in collaborative, conscious actions and a stronger connection to nature itself. As she puts it, “The problem starts with how we think about nature. In corporate vocabulary, it all comes down to ‘resources.’”
Being British, and living in France, Alexie has closely followed ESG discussions in Europe. I took this opportunity to explore what we can learn and apply here in Brazil.
The problem starts with how we think about nature. In corporate vocabulary, it all comes down to ‘resources'.
- Alexie Sommer
About our interviewee
Alexie Sommer is a strategic designer, systems thinker, and communication specialist with over 20 years of experience in regenerative business and sustainability. She co-founded URGE and Think Sketch Design and co-created Design Declares, a movement that brings together designers and institutions in response to the climate emergency.
Recognized as a Design for Planet expert by the UK’s Design Council, she uses creativity and sustainable methods to drive industry transformation, collaborates on data-driven strategies, and mentors at the intersection of design, sustainability, and authentic communication.
Next, I bring a little bit of what we talked about.
Verena (Meio): How Would You Define ESG for Someone Who Knows Nothing About It
Alexie: ESG comes from the corporate world, but it can be explained simply. As human beings, we are part of nature and ecosystems.
Environmental (E in ESG): Understanding our role within environmental systems.
Social (S in ESG): How we treat people and what defines strong and respectful human relationships.
Governance (G in ESG): How we organize ourselves collectively and lead ethical lives.
In English, the dictionary definition of “nature” places us apart from it, as if we were separate from the natural world. In the UK, there’s a movement to change this perspective because such separation is absurd. In corporate language, everything is reduced to “resources.”
The question goes beyond businesses: Who and what are we designing for?
“Everything we touch has had a designer involved. Yet, few realize design’s true impact on society.”
For Alexie, design must go beyond aesthetics. Designers should act as facilitators, and collaborate with scientists, regulators, CEOs, and communities to create truly sustainable solutions.
"Everything we touch has had a designer involved. Yet, few realize design’s true impact on society."
- Alexie Sommer
The Power of Collective Action
One of the most impactful projects of her career is Design Declares, a platform that connects design professionals committed to sustainability. It fosters knowledge-sharing through events and workshops that focus on collaborative solutions.
“We don’t have all the answers alone, but collectively, we can find solutions. ESG is complex and requires multiple perspectives.”
Alexie also believes that regardless of profession, everyone should understand natural systems.
“All designers should have a foundation in biology or ecology. Get your hands in the soil, learn about permaculture. That reconnects us with nature.”
ESG in Europe vs. Latin America
Verena (Meio): What differences do you see in ESG’s evolution in Europe and Latin America?
Alexie: The challenge is that corporations now want to, and need to “do good,” but ESG still feels like the responsibility of a select few. For it to work, it must involve everyone, and it may require big changes in the way a company works.
Ideally, every team member in a company should have a connection with ESG instead of it being an isolated department. “My vision is that ESG shouldn’t be a separate sector but integrated into the entire organization.”
Regulations in the European Union have advanced. The Eco Design Product Regulation introduced last year, sets ISO standards for circularity and creates a due diligence framework to guide businesses in adopting a circular model.
Another significant change is the requirement for a digital product passport, allowing companies to track a product’s lifecycle and disposal. This tool is transforming how designers think about the end of projects from the outset.
Measuring vs. Acting: Where Is the Focus?
Regulations like Europe’s new carbon taxation scheme the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), requires imported products to have a carbon footprint assessment. However, there’s a flaw: calculations often begin at the material supplier stage, overlooking crucial impacts like deforestation and biodiversity loss during raw material extraction.
“People are too focused on measuring and calculating, but there’s little real action to reduce emissions at the scale needed.”
- Alexie Sommer
Alexie believes the discussion needs to move beyond metrics to understanding flaws in a system and creating simple fixes. Let’s take the example of Logistics companies, who frequently send half-empty trucks on a delivery that return empty—in this instance simple operational changes supported by innovative technology could significantly reduce environmental impact.
Resistance and Future Possibilities
Verena (Meio): With urgent global changes, where do you think we’re headed?
Alexie: “We’re speaking just a day after Trump’s inauguration. Looking at global politics, it’s easy to fall into despair, stop what we’re doing, and consider a different path. But we need more civic engagement.”
“If this is happening in the U.S., we should boycott American products. The U.S. has always been a country of excess, and that mindset needs to change.”
She also warns against the obsession with carbon modeling. While measurement is necessary, action is what truly matters.
“Understanding systems and making them more efficient is key. We must be more mindful and responsible with resources, and invest in nature based solutions.”
“My response is: ‘Vive la résistance!’ We must connect, tell stories, and find platforms that amplify voices and action.”
Alexie Sommer
Verena (Meio): How do we stay motivated in tough times?
Alexie: “My response is: ‘Vive la résistance!’ We must connect, tell stories, and find platforms that amplify voices and action.”
Designers, in particular, have a significant responsibility in storytelling - their narratives help raise awareness and mobilize action.
“It’s about civic power, bringing people together, and explaining why these issues matter.”
She also critiques the concentration of wealth, and hence power, among billionaires and advocates for independent media, free from vested interests.
Despite the challenges, she remains optimistic.
“Technology won’t save us. But humanity, combined with the right technological tools, can achieve incredible things.”
- Alexie Sommer
Balancing Technology and Humanity
Alexie acknowledges technology’s potential but warns that it alone won’t save us. AI can accelerate sustainable solutions, but its development and application needs to be ethical and inclusive.
“Technology won’t save us. But humanity, combined with the right technological tools, can achieve incredible things.”
As we close our conversation, she leaves an inspiring message for those eager to drive change:
“If you believe in something, turn it into action. Make your protest your prototype.”
- Alexie Sommer
