THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The 150-member America the Beautiful for All Coalition brings diverse experiences and perspectives to the frontline fight to save 30 percent of US land, fresh water and ocean by 2030.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
While many companies focus sustainability efforts on their products and other consumer touch points, two of tech’s largest companies are including large facility construction and remodel projects as a foundation to their efforts having a ‘nature-positive’ approach.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Seaweed has great potential as a superfood and a building block for products including plastics, fibers and fuel. Expanding seaweed farming could help reduce demand for crops on land and global GHGs from agriculture by up to 2.6B tonnes of CO2e per year.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The FAO estimates livestock emissions could fall by 30% through
wider adoption of existing technologies and best practices in animal health and husbandry. Only by taking a holistic food-systems approach that includes sustainable livestock can we make meaningful progress toward Sustainable Development Goals around hunger, poverty and climate action.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Existing approaches to mitigating climate change and Arctic ice melt are proceeding too slowly. Therefore, scientists and innovators are crafting creative, unconventional ways to preserve and restore Arctic ice — here are two wildly different approaches being tested.
WASTE NOT -
The Guide provides easy-to-follow processes, as well as important considerations when pivoting focus from on-site techniques to off-site circularity endeavors.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Promising developments in expanding the blue economy, philanthropy for climate action, and heavy industry net-zero commitments were among hopeful highlights from the annual gathering.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The tool includes over 50 biodiversity-relevant data layers that collectively provide a global, holistic picture of nature-related risk — the first-ever platform that brings together such a diverse range of data specifically for the purpose of analyzing biodiversity-related risks to corporates and investors.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
With a goal of phasing out toxic and forever chemicals in consumer products, the UK-based biotech startup is spearheading the ethical, equitable discovery and utilization of the safe, effective chemicals and proteins waiting to be found in
nature and developed for human use and benefit.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
As a purchaser of wood pulp for its Bounty and Charmin brands, Procter & Gamble has an influence on driving responsible forest practices for its suppliers. But P&G needs help driving scale — more companies must make good on
responsible sourcing commitments to meet the needs of the market, as well as a fragile natural world.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Visit Faroe Islands’ innovative strategy and annual ‘Closed for Maintenance’ voluntourism program illustrate the destination’s dual commitment to both promotion and the sustainable development. Lacking relevant legislation, VFI uses tourism to support sustainable development on a broader scale.
WALKING THE TALK -
After meeting their goal to plant 1M trees three years early, Bulleit and American Forests are now focused on improving tree equity in communities that need it most — starting with two in Houston, Texas ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
The PDXNext redesign of Portland International Airport’s main terminal involved a first-of-its-kind supply chain that supported the regional timber industry; and ensured wood traceability and equitable sourcing from local tribal, private and public landowners’ responsibly managed forests.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
As salmon demand has grown, so too have large-scale, environmentally destructive aquaculture projects. The community of Frenchman Bay, Maine is fighting a plan to build North America’s largest industrialized, open-net fish farms in their backyard.
WALKING THE TALK -
From my perspective as a scientist who’s been working on climate change and environmental resilience since before the crisis made front-page headlines, here are the four biggest trends I foresee defining 2023.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The collaboration, using Steakholder’s proprietary 3D bio-printing technology, is a significant step forward in both companies’ mission to cultivate and scale sustainable alternatives to conventionally farmed and fished foods.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
The VOICE Network’s Cocoa Barometer links the range of challenges facing
cocoa-farming communities to pervasive poverty. The IDH’s new, free Living Wage Action Guide helps companies find the path to the best interventions for their situation.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
COP15 again highlighted the importance of ensuring money moves in the right direction to bring about lasting environmental protection. One example is The Nature Conservancy’s recent purchase of a coral reef insurance policy to protect Hawai‘i’s marine environment from damage by hurricanes or tropical storms.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Oakland-based startup MeliBio has created the world's first vegan honey — molecularly identical to the bee-made version, but a delicious and sustainable alternative that supports bee biodiversity.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The mine’s operator and UK government pledge to offset nearly 500,000 annual tons of emissions through carbon credits; but the clear greenwashing has been lambasted by critics the world over.