Natalie Fée is one of the UK’s most influential Environment & Sustainability speakers, renowned for turning grassroots activism into national impact.
As the founder of City to Sea, a pioneering not-for-profit focused on reducing plastic pollution, Natalie has become a powerful voice for systemic environmental change. A bestselling author, broadcaster and award-winning campaigner, she has worked with leading corporates, policymakers and communities to champion circular economy principles and sustainable living.
In this exclusive interview, Natalie reflects on the challenges of balancing purpose with profit, the role of corporate responsibility in reversing ecological damage, and why individual action remains a driving force in the fight for a greener future.
Q: What lessons has founding City to Sea taught you about the evolving role of corporate partnerships in driving meaningful environmental impact?
Natalie Fée: “Well, through City to Sea and our corporate partnerships, we’ve had the chance of working with some fantastic corporates. Really, I’d say it’s down to them that we have been able to exist and power the campaigns that we’ve run, thanks to the corporate partnerships.
“Actually, we found those easier to manage and to secure than we did the traditional trust grants and foundations, because there are some corporates out there who take a very proactive and pioneering approach to CSR and can support organisations like City to Sea.
“So, for example, we worked with Chilly’s for around six years. Their remit was to get more people carrying refillable water bottles and refillable products. And for us, we were all about trying to get people to use less plastic. So that really helped us to fund our Refill campaign. We did that with the water companies as well for about three years.
“We’ve also worked with large investment companies, and they’ve found that it’s been a really brilliant talking piece if it’s a subject that they’ve been engaging on with their clients. I’ve been there, sort of giving talks to their clients as well, to help bring them on board with their environmental commitments.
“There have been times when it’s been possible to gauge that some companies are paying lip service or slightly engaging in greenwashing as well. Being able to tell those that are genuinely committed to making a difference at this time… we’ve worked with both and we appreciate working with both. I think really it’s about how can we go on a journey with those companies if they’re open to it, and really try and make those commitments more solid and more meaningful.”
Q: From your experience engaging with major organisations, what are the most persistent challenges businesses face when aligning sustainability goals with financial realities?
Natalie Fée: “Usually, my impression is that it’s generally balancing the need and the urgency of the ecological crisis with things having to make financial sense.
“Now, a lot of these businesses, and especially the ones that I’m speaking at — if they’re not a start-up — then it actually could have taken them decades to get to where they are now through innovation, technology developments.
“Actually, expecting them to pivot within a 10-year timeframe is generally a huge challenge for most large organisations. So I think that’s generally one of the main problems that companies come up against — that sense of urgency. It’s a lot to expect for people to make those changes when it’s taken such a long time to get us into this place and, quite frankly, in this mess in the first place.”
Q: Many people feel powerless in the face of global environmental issues. How do you respond to the notion that individual actions have limited impact?
Natalie Fée: “Individual action, I believe, actually is all we have, because it’s individuals that are making the changes.
“So, across the whole of the spectrum — from grassroots change, community change, change in your home — right the way up to big systemic change, it’s individuals that are powering that action. So whether that’s just you at home switching to a plastic-free bathroom, signing petitions or supporting an NGO like City to Sea, those impacts all add up.
“Especially when we look at individual changes — obviously there are around 8 billion of us on Earth. Switching to, say, a plastic-free toothbrush… the more people that do that, or the more people that carry a reusable bottle, that creates a trend. Trends drive demand and demand drives investment.
“So we can very much see how individual behaviour change is powering those changes — more within the plastic scope — towards more refillable systems and towards the circular economy. That’s how individual action, in terms of voting with your wallet and what you buy, can change things.
“Actually, looking at what change happens from companies, change in government — all of that is made up from individuals within those companies, within government, who have decided that they want to bring about the change within their environment, within their companies.”
Q: Critics often question the long-term viability of not-for-profit models. What would you say to those who believe purpose-led enterprises cannot also be financially sustainable?
Natalie Fée: “Well, it’s certainly true that it can be a struggle. I set City to Sea up nearly 10 years ago now as a not-for-profit. But we can actually make profit. We’re a community interest company as well as a charity.
“Now, I know lots and lots of not-for-profits who have different community models, and they haven’t had shareholders that they’ve needed to service, and they’re still profitable, viable businesses. But you don’t have the shareholders that you’re accountable to, to make the profits for.
“And with City to Sea, we have always reinvested any profits that we make back into the business to grow our impact, because ultimately, a lot of the not-for-profit businesses and charities that exist really exist to create that impact.
“But at the same time, they want their staff to be happy and well paid, and ideally, they’ve got a business model which works and serves that organisation.
“So, I mean, that’s something we’re still working on at City to Sea. We’ve always been a bit of a hybrid between a charity and a community interest company. But 10 years in, we’re still going, so I’m proud of that.”
This exclusive interview with Natalie Fée was conducted by Jack Hayes.
