FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Promising developments in expanding the blue economy, philanthropy for climate action, and heavy industry net-zero commitments were among hopeful highlights from the annual gathering.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The tool includes over 50 biodiversity-relevant data layers that collectively provide a global, holistic picture of nature-related risk — the first-ever platform that brings together such a diverse range of data specifically for the purpose of analyzing biodiversity-related risks to corporates and investors.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
With a goal of phasing out toxic and forever chemicals in consumer products, the UK-based biotech startup is spearheading the ethical, equitable discovery and utilization of the safe, effective chemicals and proteins waiting to be found in
nature and developed for human use and benefit.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
The Mill system offers a practical, circular solution for reducing home food waste and the resulting, climate-changing greenhouse gases — with minimal effort on the part of users.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
As a purchaser of wood pulp for its Bounty and Charmin brands, Procter & Gamble has an influence on driving responsible forest practices for its suppliers. But P&G needs help driving scale — more companies must make good on
responsible sourcing commitments to meet the needs of the market, as well as a fragile natural world.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
New reports by Zero Waste Europe and Planet Tracker slam the industry for piecemeal attempts at sustainability and circularity; where it fails to adopt more holistic approaches and take greater responsibility for environmental and social issues, investors must help move the needle.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
The PDXNext redesign of Portland International Airport’s main terminal involved a first-of-its-kind supply chain that supported the regional timber industry; and ensured wood traceability and equitable sourcing from local tribal, private and public landowners’ responsibly managed forests.
WASTE NOT -
Updated federal guidelines that reduce donor liability could begin to change the conversation around what is acceptable to consumers, especially as much-needed food begins to make its way to those who need it most.
CLEANTECH -
Brazilian startup TidalWatt has rethought underwater turbines — theirs are 60x smaller and produce 3x as much energy as wind turbines, are harmless to marine life, and promote the formation of artificial reefs.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
As salmon demand has grown, so too have large-scale, environmentally destructive aquaculture projects. The community of Frenchman Bay, Maine is fighting a plan to build North America’s largest industrialized, open-net fish farms in their backyard.
WALKING THE TALK -
Fair carbon-reduction targets and the assessment of a company’s
performance relative to targets are an incredibly powerful way to assess how well a company is performing. It also sends a clear risk message: The greater the difference between a company’s fair target and its actual performance, the greater its value at risk.
WALKING THE TALK -
From my perspective as a scientist who’s been working on climate change and environmental resilience since before the crisis made front-page headlines, here are the four biggest trends I foresee defining 2023.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The new H&M Loooptopia Experience on Roblox allows users to experiment with their digital identity and learn about fashion and circularity in a fun, creative and playful environment.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The collaboration, using Steakholder’s proprietary 3D bio-printing technology, is a significant step forward in both companies’ mission to cultivate and scale sustainable alternatives to conventionally farmed and fished foods.
WASTE NOT -
While recycling and lightweighting packaging strategies are helpful, they still align more with a linear rather than circular economy. Here, Upstream CEO Matt Prindiville lays out his organization’s vision for a truly plastic waste-free future.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
With a fresh spotlight on the critical role of biodiversity in the health of the planet, climate and economy, two ambitious new funds aim to mobilize millions in resources to scale on-the-ground, nature-preservation and -regeneration projects and nature-based climate solutions around the world.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
We can’t keep communicating about climate change in ways that feed our evolutionary prejudices and continue kicking the can down the road. We must outsmart our biases using strategic communication tactics so we can take action when it matters — which is now. Here are 3 ways to hack our brains for climate action.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Due to the urgency of solving our most formidable climate- and health-related challenges, we regard decision-makers’ behavior vis-à-vis cellular agriculture — and cultivated food products, in particular — to be of some consequence when considering what lies in store for 2023.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
COP15 again highlighted the importance of ensuring money moves in the right direction to bring about lasting environmental protection. One example is The Nature Conservancy’s recent purchase of a coral reef insurance policy to protect Hawai‘i’s marine environment from damage by hurricanes or tropical storms.