ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
As she works to transform the company's 130-year-old corporate culture and the implementation of Purpose, we talked with Group Chief Sustainability Officer Ryoko Shimokawa about her vision for sustainable growth for the company and society.
FROM PURPOSE TO ACTION: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER -
“We’ve been working on design for recyclability for years now. But the next step is to make packaging fully recyclable and then collect the packaging to recycle it into new products. We’re very close to creating a low-carbon, circular economy.” — Han Zhang
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The Beyond Plastics Challenge aims to address the plastics dilemma on Earth through the design and production of solutions aided by access to space. The two winning concepts will be able to conduct research in the International Space Station’s unique, weightless environment.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
As part of Shaw’s sustain[HUMAN]ability® Leadership Recognition Program, VP of Global Sustainability and Innovation Kellie Ballew recently spoke with C2CPII
President and CEO Dr. Christina Raab about the evolving, interconnected nature of sustainability and the Institute’s work.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
By investing in SMEs in developing countries, we aim to help them enhance their businesses for the benefit of smallholders — proving they are credible to the local banking sector along the way. Ultimately, our core purpose is to tilt the economic balance back toward smallholders; so they can make a decent living in normal times and survive inevitable price shocks.
WALKING THE TALK -
Several global brands have now achieved B Corp certification, leading some to criticize certifier B Lab for abandoning its original mission: Making business a
force for good. But, as advocates point out, welcoming multinationals into the B Corp family is a logical step in scaling systemic change.
COLLABORATION -
The role of business in the health of society and the planet has never been more critical. And as stakeholder calls for companies to use their resources for social and environmental good grow louder, it’s clear that not even multinationals can effect change on their own.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
In a unique industry collaboration, the three online retailers are launching a bespoke learning platform to support their brand partners in setting science-based emissions-reduction targets.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
If you see a lab-grown diamond and a mined diamond side by side, they both elicit the same scintillating awe; but lab-grown gemstones don’t carry the injustices of their mined counterparts. For Aether and Sacet, transparency, ethics and regeneration are the future of luxury.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
B Lab has updated its B Impact Assessment guidance and standards to align with the IDH Living Wage Roadmap — highlighting more companies’ work on this front will illustrate the feasibility of providing living wages globally.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Through its ongoing research and growing product offerings, WellVine aims to become the world’s premier source of plant-based nutrition and illustrate how
upcycling can not only reduce food waste but demonstrate the highest and best use of a remarkable global food source.
BUSINESS CASE -
When companies make bold commitments to sustainability, we all win. Here, we share lessons learned and ongoing challenges from three very different corporate sustainability journeys — to show others on the front lines that they are not alone.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
As the prior generation of plastic-based alternatives wanes, a host of new, animal and plant-based options are sprouting up — but challenges remain for unseating conventional leather.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
To deliver the rapid decarbonisation and conservation we need, and to enable communities to grow in a sustainable way, we have to catalyse new finance for good — and we need to maximise that impact, so we know how much good is achieved and how we can improve.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
“Our alternative chocolate is saying that this industry can function in a different way — and it doesn’t have to be stuck doing things it has been doing for 60 years, making billions of dollars a year off the hard work of farmers in West Africa.” — WNWN co-founder Johnny Drain
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Research from Sustainable Brands and Ipsos reveals a global misperception on the most impactful sustainable behaviors — with a belief that recycling will yield bigger benefits than eating plant-based diets, increasing energy efficiency, and 58 more impactful choices.
WASTE NOT -
New York-based startup Izzy Zero Waste Beauty is out to show the incredibly wasteful beauty industry that it can mend its wicked ways — vastly reducing its footprint through a hyper-local supply chain and 100% refillable, recyclable products.
LEADERSHIP -
Setbacks such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade offer brands the opportunity to demonstrate their true commitment to supporting a healthy, equitable future for all.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
“ESG in its fullest form hasn’t really been done yet. Its full potential is at the intersection of ESG and impact investing, where we can move from passive divesting and screening out of negative investments to proactive investments that generate long-term, sustainable profits.” — Alix Lebec
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
New report finds that with 25% of global GHG emissions caused by the food value chain, the shift to alternative proteins may be the most capital-efficient and high-impact solution to addressing the climate crisis — and over 30% of consumers are ready to make the switch.