PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Amidst the bustle of COP21, Indonesian forests have received some pretty good news. After weeks of devastating fires, APRIL Group and Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), two of the world’s largest pulp and paper companies, have made strong reforestation commitments.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Discussion, collaboration and commitment necessary for long-term forest protectionThis week marks a critical moment for climate change. World leaders are gathering in Paris at the COP21 climate negotiations to discuss the role forests play within the broader climate debate. Their charge is to agree on a shared vision for industries, governments, civil society and consumers to halt and reverse the demise of the world’s natural forests.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Not-for-profit environmental organization Canopy has recruited big fashion brands in the fight to protect endangered forests since launching its CanopyStyle campaign in October 2013. Last week, the organization announced that Arcadia Group, C&A China, and Lindex joined the initiative and committed to ensuring their supply chains do not use ancient and endangered forests for fabrics such as rayon and viscose by 2017.
LEADERSHIP -
Businesses have a central role in addressing the forest issues that are in today’s headlines—including the Indonesian fires (which emitted more CO2 in three weeks than the entire German economy in a year), and the Amazon forests, which may be at a tipping point with serious
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
At least 36 percent and up to 57 percent of the the tree species in the Amazon Rainforest should qualify as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the most widely recognized authority on threats to species conservation, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances, as reported by The New York Times.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Danone, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and Unilever continue to lead the corporate sector in making and living up to zero-deforestation commitments, but many firms have yet to make public sustainability commitments, according to a new ranking by the Global Canopy Programme.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
On Monday, Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), the world’s second-largest palm oil producer, launched a peatland rehabilitation project in Indonesia and committed to 100 percent traceability to mill by the end of 2015.
NEW METRICS -
Construction machinery and equipment giant Caterpillar recently hosted the first major national summit on infrastructure restoration, with the clarion call that investing in nature is smart business. As a major player in the manufacturing industry, Caterpillar reached the conclusion that moving beyond technical principles and establishing a broad coalition of stakeholders is required to bring the restoration conversation mainstream.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Two new reports suggest that the best way to protect forests is to let indigenous and local communities manage them. Released Thursday, both reports provide evidence to support that community-led management is a financially and environmentally responsible approach to curbing deforestation.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Fires are raging across the 3,000 mile length of Indonesia, destroying tens of thousands of acres of forest. More than 127,000 forest fires have been detected so far this year, which is expected to be the worst on record. Visibility in some cities has been reduced to 30 yards by noxious orange haze. There have been more than 500,000 cases of acute respiratory illness and at least 19 deaths.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Environmental watchdog ForestEthics announced today that four major US companies — Xerox, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Delta Dental and Bigelow Tea — have expanded their commitment to support and promote responsible forestry, by distancing their brands from the controversial Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) paper and wood certification and labeling, and instead supporting and promoting that of the Forest Stewardship Council.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
The U.S. Forest Service is the latest organization to be targeted by environmental groups demanding action related to the California drought. On Tuesday, the Courage Campaign Institute, Story of Stuff Project, and Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service for allowing Nestlé to illegally bottle water from San Bernardino National Forest.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Sweden is so heavily forested that open areas are the exception.It’s the opposite of continental Europe, where Germany’s well-known Black Forest or France’s Bois Des Landes are deviations in the landscape, which was deforested centuries ago.In Sweden, the slatten, or “plains,” are distinct. They carry geographic names recognizable to the average Swede, such as Uppsala-slätten or Västgöta-slätten.Not surprisingly, the huge swaths of forest in Sweden are central to the culture and economy, both of which have lofty reputations globally for sustainability.Here are six more things that make Sweden’s forest economy unique, according to Iggesund Paperboard.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
For the first time ever, family forest owners and well-known marketplace brands will connect and discuss their respective needs and challenges related to sustainable forest management. Mars Inc., McDonald’s, Avery Dennison, and Evergreen Packaging are among the participants.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Several dozen companies that endorsed the New York Declaration on Forests at 2014’s United Nations Climate Summit are taking concrete steps to eliminate commodity-driven deforestation from their supply chains, according to a new report from Supply Change – a project convened by Washington D.C.-based non-profit Forest Trends.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
On Wednesday, just a few days from the first anniversary of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) — an international, multi-sector commitment to safeguard the world’s forests and to help tackle climate change signed by Cargill and other major multinational companies, governments, and civil society organizations at last year’s UN Climate Summit — Cargill released a new Policy on Forests. Backed by forest protection action plans for Cargill’s priority commodity supply chains, the policy sets a comprehensive approach for the company in its efforts to prevent forest loss.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
On Friday, Subaru released a trailer for “Who We Are Is What We Leave Behind,” a video series documenting the car company’s National Parks zero-landfill initiative. See episode one below:
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the standard-setting and certification organization for sustainable forestry, will host its 5th annual premier global business event in Durban, South Africa from September 3rd to 5th. In Good Company 2015 (IGC 2015) will gather leading companies across sectors, brands and international NGOs to explore challenges and opportunities in forest certification.
STAKEHOLDER TRENDS AND INSIGHTS -
Like one of its baristas, Starbucks has given consumers warm words but has been a bit slow in delivering the goods.In 2013, Starbucks announced it would source 100 percent of its palm oil from certified sustainable suppliers by 2015, but the company has been slow to take meaningful action, and a SumOfUs.org campaign is calling on Starbucks to strengthen its policies.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Patagonia Provisions — a initiative from conscientious outdoor apparel brand Patagonia aimed at rethinking our food chain — has launched a groundbreaking partnership with family-owned meat company Wild Idea Buffalo to conserve and restore the grasslands of South Dakota, while producing a sustainably sourced Buffalo Jerky. This is the latest addition to the company’s food line designed to create positive change in the food industry.