ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
New types of partnerships can enable systemic changes to flourish. That thinking is behind the Origin Green Ambassadors programme, which brings education, leading global brands and entrepreneurial sustainability professionals together to collaborate and learn. Five years on, there’s strong evidence that the approach is driving best practice and industry-wide innovation.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
In response to the federal government’s failure to take action against climate change, Michael Bloomberg and California Governor Jerry Brown have launched a new initiative to track and quantify the contributions of local governments and businesses to tackle greenhouse gas emissions in line with the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
If there’s one group that’s basking in the long shadow cast by Donald Trump’s ill-fated decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, it’s business.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
Just weeks after the UN Secretary General released a report detailing sluggish progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), efforts are already underway to bolster support for their widespread adoption.
PRESS RELEASE -
The mobilization of businesses, governments, and individuals in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has been heartening and inspiring. Within just days of President Trump’s announcement, businesses contributing $6.2 trillion to the US economy, and states accounting for more than one-third of national GDP, have joined together to declare their intent to continue the path towards a low-carbon economy. But we aren’t just forging ahead because it’s good for the planet, we also understand that it’s good for business.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Mayors of 52 of the world’s largest cities, representing more than 275 million citizens, have called upon G20 leaders to address climate change at the upcoming G20 Summit.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
Last year saw one of the most historically symbolic events of recent years when 195 countries signed the Paris Agreement to cut back on pollution contributing to climate change. So, last month when President Donald Trump announced that he would pull the US out of the agreement, there was a huge reaction, with many leaders of countries around the world expressing their dismay.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
In the weeks since the announcement that the U.S. would be pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, there has been much debate about the impact this may have on the country’s and entire world’s push toward a more sustainable future. One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation has been that cities, states and especially businesses remain committed to moving forward in the fight against climate change.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
French president Emmanuel Macron’s offer of refuge to U.S. climate scientists and innovators in the wake of Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement was not only a defiant policy rebuke, but a clear signal that France – like many other countries – now wants to seize momentum and take advantage in the absence of American leadership on climate.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Recently, Walmart announced a bold initiative to cut a gigaton (aka 1 billion tons) of emissions from its supply chain. Achieving this moonshot will require many companies to act — and given the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the timing couldn’t be better.
I’m often asked, “Why did Walmart do this?” My 25 years of working with companies tells me the answer is obvious: Because it’s good for business!
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
While telegraphed for days and choreographed down to the military band playing soft jazz in the background before the announcement, President Trump’s June 01, 2017 declaration that the U.S. will pull out of the Paris Agreement still jarred and dismayed.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
The sand dune turned booming metropolis known as Dubai has never been a city synonymous with sustainability — extravagance and wealth, yes, but environmental ingenuity? Not so much. But as oil and fossil fuels, in general, take a hit, the city is wasting no time shedding its frivolous rep and reinventing itself as a hub of innovation, according to a recent article in Popular Science.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
At this stage in the game, there’s no stopping the sharing economy, but organizations and government in the UK and China are working to create a safer, more responsible space that allows consumers, businesses and investors to fully take advantage of its benefits through the rolling out of greater regulation.
Back in 2016, UK trade body Sharing Economy UK (SEUK) launched its TrustSeal — the world’s first kitemark for the sharing economy in an effort to make the industry a safer space for consumers.
COLLABORATION & CO-CREATION -
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires extensive cooperation with a long-term vision, which is why AkzoNobel has brought together more than 150 stakeholders and 20 partners, including Arcadis, Philips, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Slumdwellers International to launch the
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Long-term climate change risks are increasingly informing financial decisions for the world’s biggest investors says a recent report from the London-based Asset Owners Disclosure Project (AODP). Yet, a considerable number of companies in the financial sector, particularly in North America, Asia and the Middle East, show no evidence of any action to address climate change, putting $4.5 trillion in global assets at risk.
COLLABORATION & CO-CREATION -
Thirteen Fortune 500 companies have come together to urge the White House to make good on its Paris Agreement climate change commitments. The Agreement has been ratified in 143 countries — including the United States — but the Trump administration could pull out before the G7 Summit in Italy in May.
“Business leaders recognize the costly impacts of climate change and the opportunities for jobs and growth in a clean technology future,” said Bob Perciasepe, President of C2ES.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Walk to work. Recycle your aluminum cans. Remember your reusable shopping bags. These modern-day sustainability mantras help consumers take small steps every day to lower their environmental footprint, keeping plastics out of the oceans and carbon emissions down. But have we considered the footprint of our clothing — one of the biggest polluters in the world?
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Cleaning up supply chains and designing impacts out of products through the application of circular principles are essential components of reducing waste, but a more holistic approach to the problem of waste is needed. Consumers are increasingly educated on matters related to sustainability and recycling is more prevalent now than ever, yet litter continues to be a major issue across the globe. To initiate sustainable behavior change, the nonprofit Keep America Beautiful and the UK Government unveiled new litter strategies.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
With UK Prime Minister Theresa May putting Article 50 into effect, many questions have arisen in regards to the UK’s sustainability agenda. Uncertainty exists about whether the economic powerhouse and EU defector will adhere to the ambitious goals laid out by its counterparts on the continent or if it will take a more reserved approach to the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. But even if the UK decides to continue pushing an ambitious agenda, deeply rooted politics and red tape could prove problematic for progress.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
The social and environmental impacts of palm oil production are widely recognized. And while the issues of deforestation, habitat degradation and human rights abuses are gaining momentum within the international community, measures designed to curtail them — including certification — are plagued by inefficiencies and a lack of transparency.