About Ohana Public Affairs
Key Specialisms
Brussels Office Since
2019Firm Description
Ohana is a boutique public affairs consultancy specialised in sustainability and dedicated to making the European Union’s policies and processes easy to understand and readily actionable within organisations.
Companies want to understand how the so-called “EU bubble” works, and the market was missing someone able to translate sustainability-related policies and decision-making procedures into simple terms. That’s where Ohana came in: we make EU policies and processes easy to understand and readily actionable within organisations.
The name “Ohana” was chosen to reflect the company’s philosophy and values, the idea of belonging to a ‘community’ and guiding our actions by their impacts on the collective. As a company, we are committed to driving positive change through public affairs and to the belief that it is possible to work alongside organisations and help them grow while still advancing sustainability.
Ohana is a proud member of the 1% for the Planet movement.
Ownership Structure
Independent owned by founder.
Key Strengths
We believe that close collaboration is the key to solving the many environmental challenges posed to all of us as we transition into a more sustainable society. This means that our consultants will not only help you understand what these challenges mean for your organisation, but also fully support and engage with your team to implement the solutions that can lead to strategic advantages in the long term.
Our values are simple, but they guide us in everything we do:
- Walk the talk: our clients are sustainability believers and so are we!
- Constructive voice: our clients commit to public affairs and policy making as a force for creating a society that is fair, protects the planet and people.
- Respect: we’re a diverse team with different backgrounds, opinions and beliefs. We respect this with no judgement.
- Collaboration: we establish a two-way dialogue with everyone we collaborate with.
The Ohana Approach, as we call it, is based on three key pillars that shape our methods and engagement from start to finish.
- CHANGE ROOTED IN REALITY: We work on the ground with companies and EU decision-makers. Our goal is to shift the boundaries and make a real, positive impact on policy.
- CHANGE THROUGH AWARENESS-RAISING: We believe that the world would be a better place if everyone was truly aware of the stakes involved in environmental and climate issues.
- CHANGE THROUGH COLLABORATION: We’re stronger together. We’re certain that by pooling our skills, knowledge and sensitivities, we’ll be able to forge a more sustainable society.
Ohana blog: Stay up to date and learn more about the latest in sustainable development policy through our blog. Our dedicated team of public affairs experts will share commentary, tips and reports.
Number of Public Affairs Consultants
7Key Clients
H&M Group, Protect Our Winter Europe, Sympatex, Textile Exchange
Testimonials and why clients like to work with us
“Since 2021, Ohana Public Affairs has been supporting Protect Our Winters (POW) Europe through 1% For the Planet since the very beginning of its existence. Ohana’s expert support has contributed to POW Europe’s advocacy campaigns, guided the strategic development of our organizational priorities and helped map out the EU policy landscape alongside the development of advocacy strategies.”
Dan Yates, European Partnerships Manager, Protect Our Winters Europe
“While Textile Exchange is not a ‘policy organization’, we recognize the importance of bringing the expertise and perspective of our members and our team into critical policy discussions that will shape the future of sustainable fibres and materials and our industry’s ability to reach our 2030 Climate+ goals. As a nonprofit organization, our partnership with Ohana Public Affairs is critical to our ability to identify priority policy issues and effective engagement strategies efficiently. The Ohana team is knowledgeable, professional, and a pleasure to work with.”
Beth Jensen, Climate + Strategy Director, Textile Exchange
“We have worked together for many years and I’ve watched Ohana grow from a ‘one strong woman – agency’ to a great and knowledgeable team. Ohana is a team with complementing experience, knowledge and skills. I fully trust them and, for me, they are part of my internal team. I strongly recommend them for everything that happens in Brussels.”
Pernilla Halldin – Global Head of Public Affairs, H &M Group
“Supporting a whole industry with a diverse range of competence and capacity is no easy task, and yet Ohana manages to do this effortlessly. Effectively communicating a complex topic to enable sustainable policy to be embedded into internal strategies and enabling our members to be business ready. The Ohana team understands our needs completely, delivers above and beyond our expectations in a highly professional manner and are trusted by ourselves and our wider membership. They are knowledgeable, approachable and a pleasure to work with.”
Dr. Katy Stevens, Head of CSR and Sustainability, European Outdoor Group (EOG)
