FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Two global coalitions have committed to make good on their companies’ DEI commitments; and adhere to a new set of Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, respectively. Larry Fink’s annual CEO letter expounds on the need for both.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Conservation X Labs’ $650,000 challenge aims to “harness planetary genius” to create solutions to replace plastic in textiles and textile manufacturing.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The language and terms we use influence our approach to the problems we face. Switching from sustainable to regenerative design enables us to more easily leave behind strategies that are no longer equal to the challenges we face.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
The opportunity for impact is especially high for consumer-facing companies, whose supply chain emissions far outweigh their direct emissions from
manufacturing.
WALKING THE TALK -
If 2020 was the year major corporations pledged to do their part to help end systemic racism and inequities, 2021 will see whether many of them walk their talk. Here is how Apple and Starbucks are attempting to make good on their commitments …
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
The world’s first carbon-removal collective for the travel industry offers climate-clever travelers and small businesses the ability to contribute directly to carbon removal and storage.
WASTE NOT -
Many plastic-based building materials that could be recycled aren’t, because most companies haven’t yet figured out how. The AZEK Company cracked this code, and diverted nearly 300 million pounds of waste from landfills in 2019.
LEADERSHIP -
Inspired by the Magna Carta, the ‘Terra Carta’ (Earth Charter) calls on CEOs from around the world to engage and play their part in leading the global transition to a low-carbon future by 2030.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Mobility is a fundamental aspect of cities; and a city only evolves when all of its inhabitants can fully participate in it. Inclusive urban mobility and accessible technologies are some of the best allies to forge cities for all and to improve the life of seniors and people with disabilities.
WASTE NOT -
While zero-waste initiatives in the US gained momentum in 2019 and early 2020, myriad complications related to the pandemic brought many to a screeching halt. But as we transition from emergency mode, there have been restarts.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Here, Shaw’s Kellie Ballew and Eastman’s Ruth Farrell discuss the opportunities created by Eastman’s Naia™ Renew textile, and the need to show the market that sustainability and circularity can be achieved without compromise.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Despite the fact that COVID-19 essentially grounded international travel for the better part of 2020, the tourism industry’s collective decision to address the climate emergency has gained exponential momentum over the last few months.
LEADERSHIP -
For Sweden and its business leaders, an inclusive society and economy is both a matter of principle, and a source of resiliency and success over the long term. Of course, we’re not all Swedish — so how can others adopt the same mindset?
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Amidst the uncertainty of the world during a global pandemic, two key pieces of 2020 research offered hope and optimism about what purpose-driven brands can achieve
in 2021 — buoyed by new attitudes, opinions, and desires from consumers.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
IDH - The Sustainable Trade Initiative and brand partners including Mars, PepsiCo and Unilever have developed the platform to enable a landscape approach to sustainable commodity sourcing.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
As 2020 finally winds down; a number of investor, brand and banking initiatives shows that this year’s many challenges haven’t derailed major global efforts to
achieve, at minimum, a net-zero future.
LEADERSHIP -
Boards and the executives and advisors they hire need to be proficient in Purpose Governance, which will put their organizations on a viable path that
creates value for the company and the society on which it depends.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
With an investment in Kintra Fibers, a material science company that makes 100% bio-based and compostable yarns, PANGAIA aims to raise industry standards for synthetic materials.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Meal kits are synonymous with excessive packaging, but they have a crucial
redeeming feature — they reduce food waste. At Just Salad, that got us thinking:
Could we drastically reduce packaging to make meal kits an unambiguous
environmental win?
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Two forward-thinking brands have deepened their Fairtrade partnerships by making additional financial commitments to cocoa farmers in their supply chains.