ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
As immense disruption continues around the globe, the spotlight on the role of business in tackling social and environmental challenges is intensifying. Here, Dr Sally Uren, Chief Executive of Forum for the Future, outlines why now is the time to re-evaluate corporate purpose.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Able Made is a purpose-driven lifestyle brand created to help empower city youth and support
nonprofits with its sustainably made apparel and accessories, and programming aimed at a creating healthier communities through the power of design and sport.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Carbon markets connect the growing demand from companies and consumers
committing to net zero, with the small but growing supply of removal and
avoidance solutions. Carbon credits make the most of tangible solutions that are possible and available now.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Aldi, Fairphone, L’Oréal, Unilever and more are taking action towards ensuring living wages for workers throughout their supply chains — and calling on others to do the same.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The companies have launched a variety of new tools and services aimed at fostering a more inclusive tech workforce in the US, with a specific focus on women and underrepresented minorities.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
The pandemic has taught us that everything is interdependent. Global thought leaders agree on the opportunity and need for several key shifts to materialize in business; and they agree on the ingredients necessary for the cure, as set out below.
WALKING THE TALK -
While the majority of projects that generate carbon credits focus solely on carbon abatement, an increasing number also achieve other environmental, economic, social and cultural co-benefits — which increase impact ROI for companies.
WASTE NOT -
I’ve always been frustrated by infighting between
food-rescue organizations working together to distribute scarce food donations — mostly from retailers. So, here’s my list of untapped sectors of the food system — where food is almost always genuinely going to waste.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
We’re calling on companies across the country to deposit $1M of their banked dollars today into credit unions serving low-income communities. Thanks to our partnership with Inclusiv, this is one smart, seamless, socially conscious money move.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
V4.0 of the newly released Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard is designed to meet companies wherever they are on their sustainability journey and help them set achievable milestones through actionable pathways as they work
towards their ultimate goals.
WALKING THE TALK -
In the past week, both Nike and Chipotle announced new sets of environmental and
social goals — and systems with which their executives’ compensation will be
tied to achieving them.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
In this excerpt from his new book, Honor Thy Label, Dr. Bronner's Gero Leson shares the company's years-long journey to establishing a stable supply chain for fair trade, organic palm oil.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
GoParity — an innovative investment platform that finances sustainable projects through crowdlending — has enabled the villagers of fire-ravaged Belver, Portugal to expedite access to much-needed recovery funds and quickly begin
reforesting.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
It is critical to understand and address the intersectional links between access to affordable housing, education, job creation and improved public health; and we look forward to continuing our work with organizations that target their
dollars towards these needs within the communities they seek to serve.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Two global coalitions have committed to make good on their companies’ DEI commitments; and adhere to a new set of Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, respectively. Larry Fink’s annual CEO letter expounds on the need for both.
WALKING THE TALK -
PepsiCo plans to more than double its science-based climate goal, aiming to
achieve net-zero emissions by 2040; and expands efforts to create resilient supply chains in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a focus on female farmers.
LEADERSHIP -
For Sweden and its business leaders, an inclusive society and economy is both a matter of principle, and a source of resiliency and success over the long term. Of course, we’re not all Swedish — so how can others adopt the same mindset?
SUPPLY CHAIN -
IDH - The Sustainable Trade Initiative and brand partners including Mars, PepsiCo and Unilever have developed the platform to enable a landscape approach to sustainable commodity sourcing.
CLEANTECH -
Unilever, Starbucks and Dairy Farmers of America have joined the historic alliance, which calls on the food industry to embrace the simple, circular relationship between food waste and its potential to reduce greenhouse gases.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
No offense, 2020 — but it is high time we put you to bed and look toward the future. After the year we’ve had, we all deserve a little pampering — and so do the makers of these thoughtful, ethically made products …