How Alana Spencer Builds Business-Driven Sustainability in Construction

The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management

Sustainability is only real when it works for people, business, and for the planet. In this episode of The Canary Report, host Michael Zalle talks with Alana Spencer, VP of Sustainability at Clayco, about what it takes to drive practical, measurable sustainability in construction and real estate. Alana shares how to align sustainability with business goals, where to start, what often gets missed, and why business skills matter just as much as passion when leading environmental change.

What you will learn:

• How you can actually bake sustainability into a project from day one, not bolt it on later
• The business case behind all this: why smart sustainability drives ROI
• Why pairing sustainability with core business skills will move your career forward faster
• How to get data working for you: setting up sustainability metrics that can scale
• The sequence that matters when optimizing a building:
• Why circular economy and embodied carbon are shaping the next chapter of sustainability in construction
• How to bridge the big-picture ESG goals at the corporate level
• A simple framework for balancing energy and water efficiency

Alana Spencer knows how to turn sustainability from a buzzword into a real business driver. With 17+ years leading ESG, climate resilience, and corporate transformation efforts, she helps big organizations move from strategy to measurable impact. In the built environment world, Alana’s known for breaking down silos, getting sustainability, governance, and business goals to align. A Chicago native, she’s focused on the intersection of climate action and community well-being. And she’s the kind of leader you learn from by listening.

Episode Resources:

• Alana Spencer on LinkedIn
• Clayco Website
• Michael Zalle on LinkedIn
• Yellow Bird Website
• The Canary Report on Apple Podcasts
• The Canary Report on Spotify