MARKETING AND COMMS -
Fridays for Future reminds US voters about the real existential threat to our planetary health, while UMG launches new installments of its ‘Use Your Voice’ and ‘Pull Up to the Polls’ initiatives to support voter education and to help get young people to the polls this week.
WALKING THE TALK -
As world leaders prepare to gather for COP27, sharp focus is once again on how governments can tackle the ongoing climate crisis. But there is a danger that retailers and brands will take a ‘wait-and-see’ approach about any resulting policy change, rather than tackling the challenges head on.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
ESG is a dynamic space, with continuous shifts even in nomenclature — from compliance, assurance CSR and sustainability to ESG, wellbeing, regeneration and impact. It is no wonder those working in the space find the tasks and skills required of them shifting, too.
LEADERSHIP -
Setbacks such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade offer brands the opportunity to demonstrate their true commitment to supporting a healthy, equitable future for all.
WALKING THE TALK -
As governments and public entities remain slow-moving, companies backing their values with action matters more than ever. But for those unsure how to respond to shifting expectations, how do they know they’re leading in a responsible way?
WALKING THE TALK -
The disconnect between many companies’ public sustainability ambitions and their non-public lobbying efforts can no longer be excused. The Erb Institute’s Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce is helping companies connect the dots.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Setting climate goals and claiming leadership while supporting laws that would oppose the realization of those goals is not just bad for a company’s reputation
and the hiring of young talent — such misalignment also poses a systemic risk that is of increasing concern to investors.
COLLABORATION -
Last week’s LEAD on Climate 2020 sent a message to Congress that business leaders have not lost sight of the climate crisis — even as they tackle the COVID-19 crisis. Washington should follow their lead.
CORPORATE MEMBER UPDATE -
This past Tuesday was the 81st anniversary of the passing of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act—the last major legislation governing personal-care products.
COLLABORATION -
Veolia North America and the Wharton School’s Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) have released a report detailing the demonstrated success and future potential for public-private partnerships (P3s) to provide sustainable solutions for the nation’s infrastructure needs.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
President Donald Trump issued two executive orders last week geared at scaling back or replacing financial regulations that he deems a burden to commerce and growth.
The move signals a big win for Wall Street —whose elite are up for top spots in Trump’s cabinet — and comes at the expense of the working class. It exposes investors and the average American to a less-regulated landscape reminiscent of the pre-financial crisis era — and the risks that go along with it.
LEADERSHIP -
In the wake of the signing of the historic global climate agreement on Earth Day, more than a half-dozen leading food and beverage companies converged on Capitol Hill last week to press U.S. House lawmakers for federal action on climate change.
WASTE NOT -
Award-winning chefs from across the country, including ‘Top Chef’ head judge Tom Colicchio, gathered in Washington, D.C. on May 25 to advocate for food waste reduction in the American food system. In hopes of educating lawmakers on the severity of the issue, the group met with 22 Senate and House offices in tandem with a first-of-its-kind House Agriculture Full Committee hearing assessing food waste from farm to table.