WALKING THE TALK -
Perhaps the takeaway of the week is that the ‘next 10 years’ of business and human rights coincide with the 2030 deadline for us to halve carbon
emissions — and that environmental rights are now very clearly seen as human rights. Companies pursuing a net-zero strategy must make human rights central, too.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
About half of our employees have a criminal record, and I’ve learned valuable lessons from working with them. If your business is considering hiring formerly incarcerated people, the following lessons may help you avoid common obstacles to building a positive environment, so both your new employees and your business can thrive.
WALKING THE TALK -
On day two of the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, delegates discussed how environmental damage is being viewed as a human rights violation in a growing number of court cases around the world — and that the UN Guiding Principles may increasingly be criteria in court judgements.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
As delegates from the UN launched the roadmap at day one of this year's Business and Human Rights Forum, full respect for human rights by business was described as a strategic — not just an operational — issue, requiring a change of corporate culture and of business models.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Shimokawa Town in Hokkaido is a designated SDGs Future City and the winner of the first Prime Minister’s Japan SDGs Award in 2017. Four years on, Shimokawa is still working earnestly to achieve the goals and is keen to share its progress, new initiatives, and challenges along the way.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
In a recent webinar, representatives from throughout the Fairtrade ecosystem, along with partners Lidl and Tony’s Chocolonely, discussed how the NGO and its partner brands are working to finally make cocoa farming sustainable for producers.
NEW METRICS -
At SB’21 San Diego, veterans from sales, marketing, certification, design, finance, agriculture and more agreed: While there’s no checklist for regeneration, a focus on interconnectivity, holistic approaches and actionable goals will lead to measurable ripple effects.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
With so little time left, we must prepare for the colossal
climate challenges yet to come. We hope our approach to public-private blended finance will inspire other multinationals, investors and climate funds to support protective measures that ensure the climate resilience of their supply chains and the global economy.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Now finally legal in New York, kelp farming is an environmental engineering solution ready-made for sequestering carbon and nitrogen, improving soil health,
cleaning up waterways and creating jobs — a ‘suite of benefits’ that could make it a climate game changer.
WALKING THE TALK -
One of the most noteworthy pledges to come out of COP26 so far sees over 100 governments, responsible for 86 percent of the world’s forests, committing to end deforestation by 2030. Now, we must immediately take this lofty vision and make it a reality.
CLEANTECH -
The potential for D-RECs as an instrument for transformative change is limited only by the corporate appetite for renewables, which at this point sees no signs of waning. While the infrastructure is currently being built and finalized, the chance to funnel investments is just around the corner.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Entrepreneur and author Marci Zaroff coined the term ‘eco-fashion’ back in the mid-‘90s. Here, we discuss why sustainable fashion has taken so long to have its
‘moment’ and how regenerative ag could heal the planet along with the damaging textile industry.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
In this excerpt from his bestselling book, "Decolonizing Wealth," award-winning author and philanthropic advisor Edgar Villanueva provides a glimpse into how money can help to disrupt some of the deep, systemic inequities in this country, instead of continuing to feed them.
COLLABORATION -
The two luxury giants and the Responsible Jewellery Council have partnered on an industry-first initiative to broaden and strengthen efforts to transform the
jewelry industry for climate resilience, with the SDGs at their core.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Signed by Fairtrade producers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the letter warns governments of developed nations that their lack of climate action is threatening farmers' livelihoods and global food supplies.
WASTE NOT -
We spoke with ReGrained co-founder Dan Kurzrock to learn more about the upcycling process, the role such technology can play in helping to fix the food
system, and why brand collaboration is so important when it comes to scale.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The Index ranks 144 countries based on their ICT infrastructures and ecosystems, including how well they are utilizing ICT to create more sustainable economies. For Tau Institute founder Roger Strukhoff, what sets the nations that will succeed apart is “a certain willingness to think beyond their front door.”
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Many people are becoming more aware of their environmental footprint and the impact they have on people and the planet. This awareness can be harnessed by the tourism industry to shift passive sea-and-sun tourists into more conscientious, actively engaged travelers.
FROM PURPOSE TO ACTION: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER -
While the use of green chemistry is critical to mitigating adverse
environmental impacts, there remains a gap in education of chemists and an overall lack of awareness in the industry. We sat down with John Warner, one of the founders of the field, to better understand how green chemistry is helping to enable a more sustainable future through science.