Moshe Muller: Looking Beyond The Mission Statement; Delivering Sustainability

Q: Please tell us more about yourself and how you got involved with the University of Haifa? 

A: I moved to Haifa in 2018 and gravitated to the city for its beautiful topography, diversity and coexistence, and quality of life. I enrolled in the University of Haifa to attend the MBA in Sustainability degree, which focused on environmental and social sustainability, essential tools for business management, and the acquiring of theoretical and practical tools for implementing sustainability.

The University of Haifa seemed like the right choice since it's the first institute of higher education in Israel to focus on the UN’s SDGs through research, teaching, public engagement, operations, and inclusivity to foster prosperity and peace. Additionally, Israel is both a leader in water and renewable energy management and a leader in developing innovative and sustainable technologies, making it the ideal place to immerse in the dynamic intersection between environmental sustainability and business.

Q: How did you get passionate about the sustainability industry, and how did you drive the sustainability agendas across external & internal stakeholders? 

A:  My sustainability story begins from when I was a child flipping rocks to watch bugs scurry, identifying birds from my window, and being an avid fisherman. As I got older, it became evident that changes were happening: there were fewer bugs in my backyard, migratory birds made fewer appearances, and heavily fished areas produced less sizable fish.

I became passionate about better understanding environmental cycles and fascinated by nature's resilience as well as its fragility. I am also passionate about problem solving and entrepreneurship so combining environmental sciences, economics, and business administration was a natural career choice to pursue. 

I am fortunate to have supported dozens of companies and organizations in the field of energy, environment, and government, in various capacities to help them achieve their sustainability goals. The most important aspect I have learned to relate with clients is to understand their "why". While many initiatives save money, this may not be their priority, nor enough of a push for them to implement sustainable initiatives into their operations. 

Rather, I look at the mission statement and put the benefits in the perspective of supporting the mission. 

For instance, when working with an event management company, I noticed they prioritized being the leader in the field. However, their competitor already had an impressive sustainability program so I phrased it in terms of competition and how these initiatives are necessary to be the industry leader they wished to be. Further, I have had military clients who showed little interest until I framed the benefits with regards to safety and saving soldiers' lives while maintaining military readiness for any scenario. Needless to say, I got their attention.

Q: Where do you see Israel and the rest of the Middle East in terms of its sustainability agenda and how you meet those needs? Can you talk about some recent headline projects as case studies to demonstrate this?

A: Israel and the wider Mideast should leverage sustainability not only as a method to show the international community its abilities to address global challenges but also as a means of survival. It's no secret that the region is under pressure from population growth and water and resource scarcity. To prepare for this inevitability, States and communities must work together and realize issues are not contained to political borders. While no one country may have all the answers, I am certain that each country has something to contribute: from Israeli technology, Jordanian solar farms, to smart city expertise in the Arabian Peninsula.

One project I am working on, which I'm especially fond of, is organized by the organization EcoPeace Middle East. The organization provides the necessary skills to start innovative green enterprises that generate significant social and economic value, and help develop a green entrepreneurial culture in the region. Working with team members from Jordan, Palestine, and Israel, has greatly introduced me to the actual challenges communities face and provides the diversity needed to develop creative solutions. I can't speak too much about my current project at the moment but I look forward to sharing it with you very soon!

Q: Tell us about your favorite city and book of all time and why?

A: My favorite city I have visited is Napoli, Italy. I have lived in large cities before but the energy of Napoli was next level. The crowded streets, mazing alleyways, juxtaposed with a relaxing macchiato is quite the experience of moving slowly in a fast city. Not to mention the best margarita pizza in the world.

My favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck which follows a family's struggle at the turn of the 20th century in California. Steinbeck so cleverly captures the truths of humanity like love and good versus evil to name a few. While the book suggests that everyone has evil inclinations, it also advocates that you can overcome them by making a conscious decision.