CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
New innovations in materials science by two of the US’ most respected engineering and research institutions could revolutionize the materials we use for a host of applications across industries.
First, what if the inherent weaknesses of a material actually made houses and buildings stronger during wildfires and earthquakes?
PRESS RELEASE -
The term “Green building” is the applied concept of planning, designing, constructing, and operating buildings with consideration for energy use, water use, indoor environmental quality, material selection and effects on the environment. This concept refers to both the building’s structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle. As the demand for more sustainable building options increases, green construction has become increasingly profitable and desirable within the global construction market. The green building market is anticipated to be among the fastest growing industries worldwide.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Last year, the Sustainable Brands community gathered around the world throughout the year to share insights on how they – and their customers – were “redefining the good life.” This year, the conversation has progressed from the ‘what’ to the ‘how’ of designing the sustainable future in which we all want to live.
WALKING THE TALK -
EcoVadis has published the second annual edition of its Global CSR Risk and Performance Index. The report provides an updated look at the corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance of more than 33,000 companies, across the calendar years 2015 through 2017.
PRESS RELEASE -
Shaw Contract, a division of Shaw Industries and a leading flooring manufacturer serving commercial properties worldwide, has officially joined the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment as part of the momentous Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, celebrating 37 founding signatories.
NEW METRICS -
Companies representing roughly one-eighth of total global market capitalization are now using climate science to define their future direction.
Nearly three years on from the Paris Agreement and with time running out before greenhouse gas emissions must peak, 2018 has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of companies committing to reduce their emissions in line with the levels required to prevent dangerous global warming.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) sent 43 of its global leaders to Mumbai, India this week to address pressing local challenges related to sustainable housing, environmental cleanup, diversity and inclusion, circular economy, and education and career readiness as part of its sixth-annual Leadership in Action (LIA) program.
PRESS RELEASE -
Can a built space not only have a positive impact on those who occupy it, but also on the environment outside the building? We believe the answer is yes.
PRESS RELEASE -
Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw) has introduced an innovative, patent-pending tool to showcase the impact ceiling and floor construction, as well as flooring and underlayment selection, have on room acoustics. Known as Sound Advisor, the web-based tool helps users make more informed design and interior product selection decisions.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
The co-working startup WeWork made headlines recently with a new policy banning meat from company functions and barring employees from expensing any meat dishes. The move is intended to reduce the company’s environmental impact, with the company predicting a reduction in carbon emissions by 445.1 million pounds and saving over 15 million animals. Miguel McKelvey, WeWork’s co-founder and Chief Culture Officer, speaks of the policy as not just creating an environmental benefit, but also changing the minds of his employees and creating a culture of personal accountability at the company.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
On Wednesday, 16 banks, the UN Environment Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and climate risk advisory firm Acclimatise published new methodologies that will help banks understand how the physical risks and opportunities of a changing climate might affect their loan portfolios. The methodologies are designed to enable banks to be more transparent about their exposure to climate-related risks and opportunities, in line with the recommendations of the Financial Stability Board's (FSB) Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
PRESS RELEASE -
“Quantified Sustainabile Benefits” – the sustainability campaign from Master Builders Solutions® convinced the juries of both the Deutscher Preis für Onlinekommunikation (German Award for Online Communications) and the Best of Content Marketing Award (BCM), Europe’s biggest content marketing competition. The campaign has won a Gold Award at Deutscher Preis für Onlinekommunikation 2018 in the category “Microsite” as well as three Silver Awards at Best of Content Marketing Award 2018 in the categories “B2B Campaign”, “B2B Crossmedia”, and “B2B Microsite”.
PRESS RELEASE -
At 3M, we use science every day to improve lives and help solve society’s toughest challenges. We like to imagine a world where all communities are safe, healthy and thriving—where increased energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and access to clean air and water enhance human health at home and at work. Still, nearly four in ten Americans currently live in counties with unhealthy levels of ground level ozone or particle pollution.¹ Since reducing air pollution remains critical to public health,² 3M is addressing this environmental challenge by creatively applying science to help remove smog³ and improve the air we breathe.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -
We recently caught up with Jennifer Silberman (@jsilberman1), vice president of corporate responsibility at Target. In this member spotlight, she shares how Target is embedding social and environmental purpose into their company strategy to drive change throughout the retail industry.
Jennifer also shares how employee passion and creativity led to the most successful brand launch in Target history, notes what can happen when corporate leaders combine forces and reveals the novel she’s penning in her spare time – one that might make a great addition to your future beach reads. Read on to learn more.
NEW METRICS -
With 3.8 billion years of R&D behind Earth’s systems and creatures, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what we can learn and how we can apply those lessons to our companies, products and processes.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Last week, over 2,000 representatives from our global community of sustainability practitioners, brand strategists, product and service innovators, thought leaders and other change-makers converged at SB’18 Vancouver to share their latest insights on a multitude of themes pertinent to all of those committed to improving business around the world. Here, we dig into brand and organizational efforts to get consumers to deliver their part of the equation, through responsible consumption.
P&G: The road to responsible consumption
By Marissa Rosen
LEADERSHIP -
Last week, over 2,000 representatives from our global community of sustainability practitioners, brand strategists, product and service innovators, thought leaders and other change-makers converged at SB’18 Vancouver to share their latest insights on a multitude of themes pertinent to all of those committed to improving business around the world. Here, we dig into a topic at the heart of all lasting change: Transformational leadership.
WALKING THE TALK -
Interface has become the first global flooring manufacturer to declare that all of its products — including all carpet tile and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) – are carbon neutral across the entire product lifecycle. The company is now offering its Carbon Neutral Floors™ program as standard to every customer, at no extra cost, to help them meet their own sustainability goals while also allowing them to reduce the emissions impact of their projects or spaces.