Sustainability strategy · Amsterdam · since 2012

Adaptify Studio

Approach

Most sustainability challenges aren't a lack of ambition or information.

They're a lack of time and expertise to work through the details: costs, savings, subsidies, regulations and trade-offs. Opportunities balanced against impacts and risks for every decision an organisation makes.

Adaptify Studio works on that problem three ways: training that builds the skill in-house, strategy work that solves the immediate problem, and Impactr, a methodology we're developing to make it repeatable.

Practice

Sustainability work, from strategy to action.

Since 2012, Adaptify has worked with companies, NGOs, governments, UN agencies, and the World Bank on sustainability challenges across many countries — spanning strategy, innovation, implementation, and financing.

That work has grown into Adaptify Studio: applied work at the intersection of sustainability, systems thinking, and AI. Impactr, our sustainability decision-intelligence platform, is a product of that evolution.

In development

Impactr — sustainability decision intelligence.

Impactr is a platform we're building to allow organisations to weigh the full impact of an operational choice, and the best way to sequence and finance it. Currently in development with pilot partners.

See where it's headed
Track record

Making sustainability strategy survive the real world.

20+
Years
of practice
30+
Countries
worked in
3
Sectors: company,
state & civil society
Impactr
in development
Ian Tellam, founder of Adaptify Studio
IAN TELLAM · AMSTERDAM
The studio

Turning experience into systems.

Adaptify Studio is led by Ian Tellam, a sustainability strategist and science advisor who has worked with companies, governments, and civil society for over two decades in more than thirty countries, including as Senior Science Advisor at Climate Analytics.

That work kept running into the same problem: sustainability strategies often don't survive contact with day-to-day decision-making. Adaptify Studio works on that directly — through strategy work, training, and Impactr, a decision-support tool now in development.

Founder · Ian Tellam · Sustainability Strategist & Science Advisor
In their words

Trusted by organisations across business, government, and civil society.

“If you want to talk strategy get Ian! Analytical thinker. Smart. Precise. Laser eye on detail. Passion, craft and creativity guarantees a delightful cocktail.”
Koert van Mensvoort
CEO, Next Nature Network
“I had the pleasure of working on a project managed by Ian, which was very complex with activities running in fifteen countries. I was amazed by the manner in which Ian kept all of this activity coordinated, how he managed to create a sense of collaboration among the different project teams, and how he drew important general insights from the diverse set of project activities. Ian is an outstanding professional.”
Dr. David Purkey
Director, Stockholm Environment Institute Latin America
“Terrific analyst. Very creative. Lots of forward-thinking ideas. Easy and fun to work with. Excellent network. Would be a valuable addition to any project team.”
Dr. Bill Dougherty
President, Climate Change Research Group, USA
“Ian has a number of qualities that are not often found in one person, but which are very powerful when combined: he has a thorough knowledge of the subject but presents this with a people oriented approach. He has an open and creative mind but at the same time he is very result oriented. He is passionate about the subjects he deals with, but stays objective all the way. He wants to make progress, but radiates patience in the process. In short, if you have a problem, he will solve it.”
Maresa Oosterman
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“Ian is a natural leader, who is open minded and a trust builder. I have gained both personally and professionally through collaborating with him.”
Javier Gonzales Iwanciw
Vice Ministry for the Environment, Bolivia
“Ian is a well known climate change expert who has supported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with excellent services as project director, and as consultant for different short term jobs.”
Aart van der Horst
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Start a conversation