WALKING THE TALK -
Once seen as a ‘nice to have’ for businesses, sustainability has become a vital component of many global organisations’ social and economic strategies.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
US-based multinational 3M launches approximately 1,000 new products each year; starting in 2019, 100 percent of them will have sustainability built in: Today, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24), 3M announced its first formal requirement that, beginning in 2019, all new products will include a Sustainability Value Commitment that demonstrates how they drive impact for the greater good.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
WWF Germany recently published a report, Boom in Raw Materials: Between Profits and Losses, which offers one of the first concrete rebuttals from a major environmental group against the notion that industry actions alone are enough to move the global industrial mining sector towards greater responsibility.
COLLABORATION -
A new report from Washington D.C.-based nonprofit the Enough Project highlights just how rampant corruption and human rights abuses are in the supply chain for cobalt, a mineral used to power battery technology.
PRESS RELEASE -
The term ‘sustainable company’ is thrown around quite loosely and frequently these days. It seems to be one of the bigger buzzwords of the decade. At the core of this trend, lies a joined consensus between consumers and the general public: they are not satisfied with businesses that focus only on short-term profit maximization. People tend to stay loyal to businesses that are far more considerate of human needs and the environment in general. LG Electronics (LG), is heavily invested in creating innovative industry-leading products focused on creating sustainable domestic home-living for its trend-setting consumers.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
During this season of giving, many of today’s more discerning consumers won’t be joining the masses scrambling to answer the siren call to stock up on discounted “stuff” — they’ll be remembering the values meant to be at the heart of this season, by taking REI’s advice to #OptOutside to enjoy nature and giving back by cleaning up; and when they do shop, they’re increasingly basing their loyalty and purchasing decisions on companies’ reputations rather than just product features and price.
COLLABORATION -
A solid argument can be made that corporate America has made significant progress in the sustainability arena.
PRESS RELEASE -
LG Electronics has been named 2018 Industry Leader by the globally recognized Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). This top ranking in the highly competitive consumer electronics category follows LG’s track record of four consecutive years of recognition as a DJSI Industry Group Leader.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -
We recently spoke with Mike Pepperman, corporate social responsibility and community relations manager at LG Electronics, about why he’s so inspired by LGE’s work supporting sustainable happiness for youth.
Keep reading to understand the impact of this work and how it also supports LGE’s business value. Does your work relate to the science of happiness? If so, get in touch with Mike to drive even greater impact.
PRESS RELEASE -
For many years, the idea of going green in payments has been limited to linking purchases and accounts with donations to environmental causes and carbon offsets. These programs have had an impact in terms of awareness and raising much-needed funds. Now, there’s an opportunity to put these efforts into action across a broader part of the payments industry.
Today, Mastercard and card manufacturers Gemalto, Giesecke+Devrient and IDEMIA launched the Greener Payments Partnership to establish environmental best practices and reduce first-use PVC plastic in card manufacturing.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
New research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) finds that a transition to a circular economy in China’s cities could make goods and services more affordable for citizens while reducing the impacts normally associated with middle-class lifestyles. The findings are being presented today at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
As Apple, the world’s second-largest smartphone producer, prepares to sign the death warrant of the wildly popular iPhone 6s with the rumored launch of multiple new models later this month, Back Market — the largest marketplace exclusively dedicated to bringing thousands of refurbished electronic devices and appliances from certified professionals to consumers — has launched an awareness campaign rallying the public against planned obsolescence.
PRESS RELEASE -
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced today it is building a new supercomputer for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that is more energy efficient and 3.5 times more powerful than its existing system.¹ The new development is part of a long-standing collaboration between HPE and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to apply advanced supercomputing and HPC solutions to accelerate research across various DOE agencies.
PRESS RELEASE -
In an emergency, communication is critical to response efforts. That’s why former public safety officials and first responders on the AT&T* FirstNet team, in collaboration with Sonim, are creating Emergency Drop Kits. These portable kits will envelop first responders in a 300-foot “connected bubble,” letting them maintain constant communication to better coordinate their response.
The Emergency Drop Kits are being designed for use during emergencies in rural and remote areas, as well as areas where communications may be temporarily unavailable. Think wildfires or hurricanes.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
After a full decade of consultation among large numbers of stakeholders from the mining industry, organized labor, nonprofits, impacted communities and businesses — a global Standard for Responsible Mining was released today.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Startups that positively impact people, planet and profit often bring the most exciting innovations to the sustainability space. Once again, Sustainable Brands did its part this week at SB’18 Vancouver to highlight the latest emerging companies addressing intractable issues — inspiring audiences and building connections with established brands.
Shark Tank: Circular Economy Innovations for Retail
First, in a Tuesday afternoon “Shark Tank,” startups pitched their solutions to retailers.
PRESS RELEASE -
LG Electronics has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2018 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year–Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficient home appliances and consumer electronics products.
"Environmental sustainability is a core business principle at LG. We're proud of our long-standing partnership with ENERGY STAR and our positive environmental impact in the United States," said William Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics North America. "LG is helping American consumers experience 'Innovation for a Better Life' by creating products that deliver energy savings to help save money and the planet without sacrificing performance or style."
CLEANTECH -
Hundreds of students from Los Angeles STEM programs will participate in one of the largest student-driven programs ever launched to protect the world’s rainforests. Rainforest Connection’s “Planet Guardians” program will guide middle schoolers in building solar-powered listening devices using old smartphones. These “Guardian” devices will be installed high in the trees of fragile rainforests to capture sounds of illegal logging and alerting forest rangers in real time.
NEW METRICS -
A multi-industry initiative has introduced new protocols and tools for the responsible sourcing of tin, tungsten, tantalum, gold, and cobalt, as well as social, environmental and governance impacts of the extraction and processing of raw materials in international supply chains.
WASTE NOT -
Earlier this year, tech giant Dell announced an innovative partnership with actress Nikki Reed’s jewellery company, Bayou with Love, which spawned a new line of fine jewellery made using recycled gold from the motherboards of end-of-life Dell computers. The juxtaposition of fine, intricate jewels with old computers has driven media interest and raised the issue and importance of sustainability within the tech sector. ‘The Circular Collection’ has been positioned as an example of circular economy success, but how deep does this move go?