WASTE NOT -
Litter. It seems like such a ‘60s word, but it’s time to dust it off and rethink it — especially in the context of plastics and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs).
Start with the fact that more than 8 million tonnes of plastic enters the environment annually, much of it into our oceans. That’s almost 3 percent (and perhaps more) of all plastic produced annually.
PRESS RELEASE -
Speakers from Danone, Seventh Generation, and B Lab among those confirmed to share advances in the metrics around social and environmental value
SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 2018 – Sustainable Brands® recently unveiled program details for New Metrics '18: The ROI of Sustainable Business, scheduled for October 29-31 in Philadelphia, PA.
PRESS RELEASE -
In its latest Sustainability Report, released today, PepsiCo reported important progress in 2017 against each of the company's three focus areas – Products, Planet, and People – while also returning $6.5 billion in cash to shareholders during the same period. This progress advances PepsiCo's ongoing sustainability efforts across its operations, value chain, and the food and beverage industry at-large, as part of the company's Performance with Purpose 2025 Agenda.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
In the sustainability world, the conversation around beef mostly involves reducing the environmental impacts of its production (deforestation, methane emissions, etc). But Cassidy Johnston can offer a perspective we don’t often get to hear in the Sustainable Brands conversation — a New Mexico-based cattle rancher and newly appointed Sustainability Officer for the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), Johnston is eager to share ranchers’ side of the story with the public and help dispel what she says are common misconceptions behind beef and its role in a sustainable food future.
WASTE NOT -
How does food get on a plate? Unless you’re growing it yourself, that food may have had a long, complex journey before it arrived on your fork. That long trail all too often results in a lot of food wasted and lost along the way. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that around 40 percent of food production is lost before it even reaches the market.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -
Danielle Azoulay (@ecodanielle), head of CSR and sustainability at L'Oréal, spoke with us recently about the projects she’s most excited about right now and how she stays inspired to drive positive change for the business, including the ability to measure environmental and social impacts for all L'Oréal products.
Keep reading to learn how writing a letter to the President and other experiences at young age inspired Danielle’s work in sustainability and how she wants to work with other members to lift the entire consumer packaged goods industry together.
CLEANTECH -
Technology has been quickly evolving into many markets such as clothing, food, health and home, and hotels are certainly no exception. As the industry is disrupted by more privatized options such as AirBnb and VRBO, Bloomberg reports that technology has become “top of mind for hotels,” as they seek to compete by providing amenities and new services for luxury vacationers and business travelers.
WALKING THE TALK -
Last year saw unprecedented natural disasters across the globe – from wildfires in California to record-breaking hurricanes in the U.S. Gulf Coast, eastern seaboard, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. At the same time, scientists warn that the risks posed by climate change are even more dire than predicted and will lead to even bigger impacts on heat and extreme weather. Combined, this has led to a spike in environmental consciousness, not only for the American people, but for businesses across the globe.
WALKING THE TALK -
New evidence suggests that sustainability standards are drivers of the adoption and improvement of corporate practices. Its welcome news following CDP’s recent examination of the gap between corporate intentions and action on tackling climate-related risks.
BUSINESS CASE -
In a first-of-its-kind analysis for the hotel industry, food waste reduction programs were shown to be effective and financially beneficial. The research – which was conducted on behalf of Champions 12.3 – studied the costs and benefits of reducing food waste for 42 hotel sites across 15 countries. Over a three-year period, nearly every site realized a positive return on its investment; on average, hotels saved $7 in operating costs for every $1 they had spent on the programs.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
“A lot of people want to participate in Detroit’s recovery, but unfortunately, they feel that because they’re not a billionaire, millionaire, celebrity or politician, they feel they can’t,” Kwaku Osei told Fast Company.
WALKING THE TALK -
Good products and profits have long been the hallmark of successful businesses, but in a shifting economic landscape these traditional metrics no longer hold up, as consumers, employees and investors are increasingly looking to corporations to act on environmental and social issues. So how can businesses succeed in an age of disruption?
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Last week, new analysis from B Corp determined that companies using business as a force for good outperform those who don’t. Now, a study from the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), an international professional body for environmental practitioners, has revealed that sustainability professionals report higher job satisfaction than the UK average.
BUSINESS CASE -
Welcome to the tipping point of capitalism.
At a time defined by political scandals, nuclear threats, and turbulence on Wall Street, business is society’s unlikeliest hero. A series of watershed statements, reports and initiatives from some of the world’s most well-known capitalists is heralding a new zeitgeist, during which businesses are expected to exist to benefit society — not just shareholders.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
A shift in consumer awareness around sustainability is causing a surge in demand for plant-based proteins — an emerging market opportunity that global food companies won’t want to miss.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
My uncle once claimed he could magically tell you the day of the week if you gave him any calendar date (day, month and year). He said he could visually see the answer in his head and swore he didn’t have any quick calculation or trick. My father was skeptical. He bet my uncle $100 that he could develop an algorithm to do the same.
The next day, my father produced a page of calculations that, lo and behold, would produce the correct answer. I was in awe; my uncle was not as impressed. But, my dad still won the money.
BUSINESS CASE -
Landscape-scale restoration has the power to create a 36:1 social return on investment, according to two new reports from nonprofit Restore the Earth Foundation and Social Value International (SVI).
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
On Monday morning, the 8th of January, Apple’s board members had probably just recovered their iPhones from their kids, who had been using them all weekend for gaming, when they saw an open letter posted online by two of the company’s major investors. The shareholders called on Apple to take action against smartphone addiction amongst children.
NEW METRICS -
The new wave of conscious consumption, driven largely by millennials and Gen Z, is pushing companies to innovate around social causes.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Young, sustainable companies have it tough. With all that excitement and idealism in building a new company comes a mountain of obstacles to overcome. But for purpose-driven companies pursuing opportunities that also create impact, that risk/reward ratio may be even higher.