SUPPLY CHAIN -
An innovative approach to sourcing gold responsibly and restoring fish habitats in Alaska and Canada, Salmon Gold meets the needs of manufacturing and retail companies that responsibly source minerals for their products.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Aruanas (“Sentinels of Nature”) aims to raise awareness of the threats to the rainforest, indigenous communities and society at large, by bringing these threats closer to home.
LEADERSHIP -
Today, at the Trondheim Biodiversity Conference in Norway, a diverse group of influential international organizations launched a global coalition to elevate a business call for comprehensive action to reverse nature loss and restore the planet’s vital natural systems.
WASTE NOT -
Announcements this week take skincare into refillable pods, set new standards designed to protect environment amid climate crisis, and increase recycled content in packaging.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
In the face of rapidly evolving global challenges and opportunities, American Forests is leveraging 144 years of history, alongside cutting-edge science and (literally) groundbreaking ideas, to catalyze the urban forestry movement.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Brand ambassador George Clooney visits farms in Puerto Rico and shines a light on the impact coffee can have on a community.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Trucost finds the world’s large-scale diamond producers infuse billions of dollars in benefits into communities, provide higher than national average wages and are working to minimize environmental impacts.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Conservation scientists, NGOs and indigenous leaders urge governments to adopt a “Global Deal for Nature” as a companion to the Paris Climate Agreement, to tackle the interlinked crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. A corresponding study establishes science-based conservation targets for the entire planet.
NEW METRICS -
With 65% of the Caribbean’s reefs generating tourism dollars, the study reveals
an opportunity for tourism-associated businesses — such as cruise lines,
airlines and hotels — to work together to protect the region’s environmental health.
LEADERSHIP -
“B Corp acts as a filter. You’re much more likely to get quality and follow-through in a long-lasting way from a B Corp.” — Luke's Lobster co-founder Ben Holden
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
New step-by-step guide from Natural Capital Finance Alliance builds on launch of web-based tool, ENCORE, in November.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Tiffany begins disclosing the provenance of its diamonds, commits to 100 percent geographic transparency.
BUSINESS CASE -
Following the release last month of its groundbreaking guide to help financial institutions understand and assess their reliance on natural capital, this week the Natural Capital Finance Alliance (NCFA) launched the world’s first comprehensive tool linking environmental change with its consequences for the economy.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Sustainable Brands® community gathers today in Philadelphia, PA to kick off the 8th annual New Metrics conference. Over 300 global executives from brands like Nike, Salesforce, and Eileen Fisher are convening to unveil cutting-edge corporate practices that measure and quantify environmental and social impacts and tie them to financial and business value.
NEW METRICS -
The Natural Capital Finance Alliance (NCFA), together with the Natural Capital Coalition and VBDO, has launched a groundbreaking guide to help financial institutions understand and assess their reliance on natural capital — i.e. the clean air, oceans, ecosystems and minerals that most of our goods and services depend on.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Today, Ceres and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announce the addition of Target and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, to the AgWater Challenge. The two companies’ new water stewardship commitments were shared today at the Financial Times Water Summit in London.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Circulate Capital, the impact-focused investment management firm dedicated to financing companies, projects and infrastructure that prevent ocean plastic; and SecondMuse, a global business accelerator that works with local stakeholders, leading corporations and government agencies to build resilient economies, today announced the launch of The Incubator Network by Circulate Capital and SecondMuse, a new initiative to accelerate solutions to ocean plastic waste by partnering with existing incubators t
COLLABORATION -
Over the last few years, the bioeconomy — a global economy that uses biological resources and waste from the land and sea as inputs to food, industrial and energy production — has been a major point of discussion for scientists and policymakers alike. According to the World Economic Forum, our bioeconomy is far from sustainable as it presently exists, as companies across many industries continue to rely on environmentally damaging practices.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
FoodShot Global today launches a new investment platform aimed at accelerating food system transformation through an annual challenge — a call for “Moonshots for Better Food” that will create a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food system worldwide.
FoodShot is a nonprofit, global consortium of mission-aligned venture funds, banks, corporations, universities and foundations. A combination of equity and debt funding will be awarded to innovative businesses, while a GroundBreaker Prize of more than $500,000 in philanthropic capital will be awarded to researchers, social entrepreneurs and advocates.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
In the early days of my career, more years ago than I care to admit, I spent a good part of my time explaining to people what e-waste was, that it was hazardous and that it shouldn’t be landfilled. I’m pleased to report that those days are over. Most of us today are well aware of the tide of electronics washing up in China, Africa and elsewhere. The vast majority of us want to ensure our discarded electronic paperweights are properly recycled. We are moving in the right direction.