Lewis Patterson
on Engaging People
For Lewis Patterson, engaging people in sustainability doesn’t start with frameworks or acronyms. It starts with stories.
Growing up on a farm, Lewis watched land erode and landscapes change. Later, tramping through Aotearoa, living in Korea under air-pollution alerts, and seeing plastic-strewn scrubland overseas, those moments quietly stacked up. None was a single turning point, but together they shaped a deep sense of responsibility — and possibility.
Today, as CEO of Latitude 45 and host of Sustainable Brands Aotearoa, Lewis believes real engagement happens when people feel seen. Empathy and collaboration sit at the heart of his approach. People, like nature, carry their own histories. Progress comes not from forcing alignment, but from understanding where others stand — even when perspectives feel far apart.
That’s why Lewis rarely leads with “ESG”. Instead, he starts one-on-one conversations by asking what truly concerns people about their future or their family’s wellbeing. Health, cost of living, environment — the entry point may differ, but the destination is shared: the kind of society we want to live in.
His guiding belief is simple but demanding: if we want to change the future, we must change what we do now. Engaging people means holding your own vision while being open enough to see through someone else’s lens. When that happens, momentum builds — faster and further than going it alone.
Lewis sees Aotearoa’s superpower as honesty and trust. When personal connection is prioritised, collaboration follows. And when collaboration scales, so does impact.
One takeaway he lives by: engage people on their story first - and build everything else from there. Read Lewis’ answers to BLOOMING Sustainability and be inspired.
BLOOMING Sustainability Questionnaire
Name: Lewis Patterson
Company & Title: CEO, Latitude 45 Limited
Website & LinkedIn Profile:
Latitude 45 Limited | Host of Sustainable Brands Aotearoa
(5) Lewis Patterson | LinkedIn
* Guiding Values | Kaupapa
If sustainability were a flower blooming in your life, what would it look like? What nurtures it?
Empathy and collaboration. We all have our own stories. The land, water and sky has its own story. To live in harmony we first need to understand those stories – even if, on the surface, it feels like there is a vast gap between where we stand.
Seeing people genuinely open up to other perspectives and talk about underlying beliefs, emotions and underlying science gives me hope and inspiration.
Right now I need a little more water & sunshine!!!
A quote, personal motto or whakataukī that reflects your vision:
If you want to change the future, you must change what you're doing in the present. Mark Twain
If you could mentor a rising change-maker in Aotearoa, what advice would you share?
Hold tight to your vision and passion (which is what makes you, you) while recognizing that each person brings their own context, vision and passion. You will move forward further and faster if you can see things through their lens too.
* Leading Change | Arataki
A key moment in your journey that shaped your path:
My journey was been less shaped by a ‘key moment’ and more by many micro moments. Seeing areas of the farm I grew up on being washed away through erosion, absorbing the sense of peace walks through NZ tramping tracks gave you, looking out of acres of scrub-land between Sucre and Sal de Yuna strewn with plastic bags, questioning why, when living in Korea, we should accept looking up an app to determine whether it was safe to go outside due to air pollution! People have also played a huge part. Hearing from earlier generations about the ‘deafening bird sound’ they grew up with, seeing others come to a point of action based on their own awareness, making the connect between health, wellbeing and the environment. The cumulation of these experiences and the gradual recognition that, with this insight, I had a responsibility and, indeed a very vested interest, in doing something about it.
What’s the main challenge you face in driving sustainability within your sector?
Delivering clearly to stakeholders (or empowering those stakeholders with), the insights and tools to present a case for doing good or better business. Few people within organisations are looking to block better business. Related to this is overcoming established templates / frameworks which focus on short timeframes or limited scope for analysing impacts or value.
An area you need more support with:
Where to start? Firstly, framing the business case for purpose driven programmes / businesses and well supported evidence / data with which to populate it.
But equally importantly, framing the argument for better business which focuses on uniting principles rather than divisive or political agendas.
An Indigenous perspective you admire and want people to be mindful of:
I honestly lack depth of insight in this space. My discussions with Māori leadership certainly provide me with inspiration and hope. In the first instance terminology, such as “guardianship” (kaitiaki) is helpful. But, moreover, the generational timeframes (past and present!) that programs are framed is something we could all learn from.
Your best approach for engaging stakeholders in meaningful dialogue about ESG:
Firstly, not starting with ‘ESG’. Then it depends on the context. 1:1 chats - increasingly I look to engage stakeholders on what concerns them about their or their family’s present or future. Whether that is health, environment or cost of living, it ultimately comes back to the type of society we want to live in. That in turn helps frame the case for ESG.
Another angle I sometimes employ (thanks to a Catherine Bryant – a speaker at one of our events) in more formal settings is asking very stark questions such as: “to frame our discussion, can I get a gauge of the level of child slavery we are happy with as a board?”
What do you think is Aotearoa’s superpower in creating a sustainable future?
Honesty and trust should be a starting point. Having worked with many Kiwis in business, ag / hort sectors over many years and in global markets, one thing that delivers results over the long term (it also leads to collaboration in the short the short term…) is how we treasure personal connection and honesty.
The people I have worked with have all genuinely cared about their role in society and their legacy. If we apply this super power consistently and more broadly, it will open up doors for more impactful collaboration both locally and globally.
* Surfing the Green Wave | Kakariki
Books, podcasts, courses or other resources that profoundly shaped your approach to sustainability:
So many, most of which I likely can’t remember or are remembering incorrectly! Some to go on… Dr Seus – The Lorax, Bill Bryson’s A History of Nearly Everything,
Events in Aotearoa or globally that you think are must-attend:
SB Ōtautahi of course.
Any number of SBN events – always inspiring and impactful.
If your work could plant one seed of change for the future, what would it be?
Seeing broader collaboration amongst brands and governments to realise systemic systems change.
The leader(s) you endorse for a future edition of Blooming Sustainability:
Manu Caddie.
* One actionable takeaway for our readers to make a change today for a brighter tomorrow:
Engage people on their story, and build your approach from there.
