PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The Biomimicry Institute has chosen India’s GreenPod Labs and Germany’s Fusion Bionic as 2022’s top biomimicry startups, from a pool of over 200 applicants from 54 countries.
LEADERSHIP -
According to new Capgemini research, execs recognize the urgency for climate action; but limited impact is visible on the ground so far as they lack an overarching strategy, clarity on the business case and coordinated implementation.
CLEANTECH -
The second cohort of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator comprises five organizations helping marginalized communities get just and equitable access to sustainable energy resources around the world.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
By supporting smallholders to access agricultural innovation on their farms and in their communities, it will enable them to both thrive in a changing climate and contribute to tackling its causes.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
If we continue to be distracted by our biennial game of political ping-pong, we are unlikely to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change — unless we fundamentally address the underlying causes of polarization and disinformation as part of our sustainability agenda.
NEW METRICS -
One of many recurring themes at SB’22 San Diego was the need for a new lexicon and new metrics for the regeneration movement, which more accurately reflect the level of work and transformation needed to not only avert climate collapse but to enable a flourishing future for all.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
68% of people ‘somewhat agree’ they’d reduce their consumption by half to avoid environmental damage and climate change — especially those with worried children at home, according to a new survey. But the gap between aspirations and actions remains wide in all countries.
WASTE NOT -
Key recommendations failed to understand plastic pollution from a holistic perspective — placing too much blame on the five most impacted Asian countries and suggesting carbon-heavy options for disposal.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Last week at SB’22 San Diego, over 1K sustainability practitioners converged to share insights, tools, inspiration and opportunities for collaboration with the goal of building a
regenerative future for all. Here, we hear highlights from our day four keynotes, which featured glimpses into the next frontier in finance and
capitalism.
WALKING THE TALK -
Naumi Hotels is raising the bar for eco-tourism with its holistic, conscious model — which includes repurposing existing buildings, incorporating living elements and providing employment for low-income women in India.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Climate action is increasingly important to incorporate into a brand’s value proposition to customers and consumers. These four steps will enable brand managers to take clear and meaningful actions — which, in turn, can connect with consumers and differentiate products in the market.
WALKING THE TALK -
Rather than undoing years’ worth of progress, brands must double down on ESG strategies that can (and will) continue to bear fruit.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Biotech startups Bolt Threads, Ecovative and Zvnder have discovered how to make the most of mycelium — creating high-quality, sustainable versions of ubiquitous materials such as leather.
FROM PURPOSE TO ACTION: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER -
In Latin America, where recycling rates remain below 10%, grassroots circular solutions are slowly beginning to scale — thanks to growing legitimacy, education, organization and protections for informal waste workers, who remain the backbone of the region’s collection and recycling infrastructure.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
A collaborative, network approach is helping global companies meet their suppliers where they are and ensure they have the resources and know-how to rise to growing imperatives to reduce climate impacts.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
By celebrating the growers behind popular chocolate and tea brands, the murals remind the public to ‘Choose the world you want’ by supporting products and brands that help give farmers a sustainable livelihood.
NEW METRICS -
A new report analyzes the executive compensation packages of 47 of the US’s most carbon-emitting companies. Where climate-related compensation ties were
claimed, most were negligible, non-quantitative and lacked specific, climate-related pay incentives.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The conversation recently made its way to Washington, DC — where the Environment Subcommittee of the House Committee of Oversight and Reform discussed calls to reform federal policies that unjustly favor corporate agribusiness, often at the expense of family farmers.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
‘Job purposing’ is making meaningful contributions to others or societal causes as part of regular work. Caesars showed that helping its sales and conventions departments job purpose was a promising pathway to dramatically
augmenting its ESG work — and, thus, its positive societal impact.
COLLABORATION -
No matter where your company is in its sustainability journey, the sooner it joins or initiates a collaboration with industry peers, the better. This guide should be in every sustainability professional’s back pocket when defining an ESG strategy.