The Next Economy
The myriad new models and processes aimed at fixing the flaws in capitalism and laying the groundwork for practical, alternative economic frameworks designed to benefit all stakeholders.
#BusinessCase: Furniture Take-Back Programs from IKEA, John Lewis Save Money, Emissions
Cross-Posted from Product, Service & Design Innovation. Furniture waste is the focus of two reports released this month. UK think tank RSA and recycling and waste company SUEZ published Rearranging the Furniture, which takes a design-focused approach to bulky waste reduction, increased reuse of furniture, and development of a circular economy. And the Furniture Re-use Network’s (FRN) new report, Commercial Retailers: Their Impact on the UK Reuse Sector, discusses the impacts of FRN partnerships with major furniture and electrical equipment retailers.
UK ‘Borrowing Hub’ Challenges Consumption Economy
The “sharing economy” has become a buzzword of sorts in recent years. Everything from cars to homes and even people’s dogs can now be “shared” with strangers connected through digital technology. But what about everyday “stuff”? That old guitar collecting dust, the hammer buried in your drawer or even… your trusty unicycle?The sharing economy is particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where research has shown some 65 percent of adults already are part of it, benefiting from £4.6 billion ($7.1 billion) worth of savings or earnings.
As Groups Continue to Push Obama for Strong Climate Action, Deniers Pose 'Fossil Fuel Free Challenge'
In the less than 100 days remaining before the much-anticipated COP21 climate negotiations in Paris, more and more stakeholder groups are adding their voices to the throng urging world leaders to come to a decisive, actionable consensus on how to address the global climate crisis.
Climate Week NYC 2015 to COP21: Commit to a Low-Carbon Economy
There is a building sense of urgency among leading businesses, public figures, and concerned citizens as the United Nations’ Conference of the Parties (COP21) approaches.In December, over 190 government representatives will gather in Paris to discuss a new agreement on climate change. The message to them is clear: We need bold action.
#BusinessCase: CalPERS, CalSTRS Report $5.1B Losses on Fossil Fuel Investments
A new report from Trillium Asset Management finds that California’s two major public pension funds, the largest in the nation, lost a combined $5.1 billion on fossil fuel-related investments last year. The California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) posted a 28 percent decline on its oil and gas portfolio, while the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) lost 27 percent on a similar set of investments for the fiscal year ending June 30th. Over the same period, most other stock investments held by the two pension funds rose.
7 Key Players Needed to Take Us Over the Circular Economy Finish Line
Circular business models thrive on longevity, reuse and capacity sharing - they disrupt, uncover customer value and drive resource efficiency. Many would agree that society needs to adopt this circular thinking, but how do we really make it happen at large?The truth is, there are several players required to accelerate the journey to a more circular economy; it can't be achieved by certain echelons of society alone. Instead, it requires a holistic view of the diverse role business, public bodies and investors all have to play to accelerate the uptake of circular principles; a belief reflected in the categories of this year’s Circular Economy Awards, aka The Circulars.
NGO Asking Coke to Spend Its $3B Ad Budget on Saving the Rainforest Instead
Hey Coca-Cola, how about redirecting your advertising budget for a year to help save the planet?That is the ask of the group Buy the World a Hope, an “independent group of people who believe that there must be new ways to substantially help the world, to work with the system and benefit the planet.”Buy the World a Hope aims to revolutionize marketing. Its website, available in 15 languages, asks visitors to sign an open letter to the CEO of Coca-Cola, urging the company to quit its $3 billion advertising spending budget for one year and direct that money toward protecting rainforests.
Happy Earth Overshoot Day (or Congrats - We're Overdrawn Even Further Ahead of Schedule)!
In less than eight months, humanity has used up nature’s budget for the entire year, with carbon sequestration making up more than half of the demand on nature, according to data from Global Footprint Network, an international sustainability think tank with offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
365 Companies, Investors Send Letters Announcing Support for EPA's Clean Power Plan
In an unprecedented show of business support for tackling climate change, 365 companies and investor groups sent letters today to more than two dozen governors across the United States voicing their support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan for existing power plants and encouraging the state’s “timely finalization” of state implementation plans to meet the new standards.The letter, organized by sustainability advocacy group Ceres, comes just days before the expected finalization of the rule aimed at reducing U.S. power plant carbon pollution by 30 percent by 2030.
The Circular Economy, Take 2: Will Europe Fail or Fly?
The European Commission is expected to unveil its revised Circular Economy Package this autumn – an occasion that will mark the first significant piece of policy intervention in this space. The Commission is under pressure to get the detail right this time, having ditched the original proposals earlier this year, deeming them not ambitious enough.
Reformation Partners with Community Recycling to Ignite Fashion Reuse Movement
As only 15 percent of clothes, shoes and accessories are recycled each year — with the remaining 85 percent, 10.5 million tons, ending up in landfills — more and more apparel brands (including H&M, The North Face, American Eagle Outfitters, and most recently, Levi-Strauss) are taking initiative to collect and recycle textiles
To Infinity and Beyond: How Levi's Is Embracing the Circular Economy
At Levi Strauss & Co., our sustainability thinking has traditionally begun at the cotton stage of the product life cycle. The cotton is picked, ginned, spun, and woven into fabric. The fabric is cut, sewn, and finished into a pair of jeans before being sent to a distribution center, then on to your favorite store where the jeans are sold to you.
New Report Decouples Economic Growth from Increased Emissions
A new report shows evidence that economic growth is decoupling from carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in a majority of American states. Authored by sustainability groups Ceres and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), along with Bank of America and four of the largest U.S. power plant operators, the research shows 42 of 50 states decreased emissions from power plants from 2008-2013, totaling a nationwide decrease of 12 percent.
Report: Collaboration Needed to Drive Economic Growth in Emerging Low-Carbon Economy
A new report released by the Global Commission on the Economy and the Climate identifies 10 key economic opportunities that could close up to 96 percent of the gap between business-as-usual emissions and the level needed to limit dangerous climate change. The report calls for stronger cooperation between governments, businesses, investors, cities and communities to drive economic growth in the emerging low-carbon economy.
New Online Marketplace Will Allow US Companies to Exchange Underutilized Materials
The National Materials Marketplace, a new joint pilot project led by the Corporate Eco Forum (CEF), US Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD), and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), brings together more than 20 major companies with operations in the United States, helping them identify ways to reuse or exchange undervalued materials via an online database, and establish new circular supply chains.
Trending: Even Yet Still More Evidence Pointing to #BusinessCase for Circular Economy
More and more evidence continues to emerge that points to the literal wealth of untapped potential of shifting to a circular economy. Today, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, and SUN (Stiftungsfonds für Umweltökonomie und Nachhaltigkeit) present the results of a major new study at the European Commission’s stakeholder conference on the circular economy in Brussels.
Dell's Progress in Closing Loops, Eliminating E-Waste Brings It Closer to 2020 'Legacy of Good' Goals
Today Dell released an update on its headway in 2014-2015 against its 2020 Legacy of Good Plan, highlighting its first signs of progress in achieving 21 goals in the areas of environment, communities and employees.“Dell has made great progress across its global business ecosystem in its efforts to use the technology we produce for good,” said Trisa Thompson, VP of Corporate Responsibility at Dell. “We’re committed to this ongoing work and share our results to both create and inspire positive change in business practices.”Notable accomplishments in terms of its products and operations include:
RIT Joins Group of Universities Furthering Global Understanding of Circular Economy
Rochester Institute of Technology has become a Pioneer University within the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF)’s Higher Education program, joining a select group of universities worldwide dedicated to accelerating a global transition to a regenerative, circular economy.
Philips, Dell, ASU Discuss How to Fill Existing Gaps in Shift Toward Circular Business Models
This #SB15sd Wednesday afternoon session on the circular economy convened a frank and open discussion about what is working, and what isn’t, when it comes to tweaking existing business ecosystems to accommodate circular models. Panelists compared notes on attempts to create new models, highlighted existing gaps, and discussed their visions for potential solutions.
How to Build a Branded Peer-to-Peer Marketplace
Couldn't make ittoSB '15 San Diego?View this session'spresentationhereand catch up onthe week's
