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.
The European Commission has approved an investment package of €222.7 million from the EU budget to support Europe's transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon future. The EU funding will spur additional investments leading to a total of €398.6 million, which will be used to finance 144 new projects in 23 member states. The support comes from the LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action, the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action. €323.5 million will go to projects in the field of environment and resource efficiency, nature and biodiversity, and environmental governance and information.
For those who follow the workings and importance of our global ecosystem - the gatekeeping mechanism for our economy, you will know that early October marked the end of another opportunity at a Conference of the Parties (COP17) to greatly improve the future of our planet’s wellbeing - but we missed the chance, yet again.
A survey conducted by ethical investment specialists Triodos Bank of UK investors has revealed an overwhelming interest in increasing ethical investment options, while a surprising majority revealed they had since been unaware of opportunities to do so.
According to new analysis by CDP, while global corporations have begun the transition to a low-carbon economy and some are already capitalizing on the opportunities this affords, a large number still risk being left behind through lack of long-term planning and inertia.
The 2016 edition of the Zero Waste Conference (ZWC), taking place on November 3, features an international roster of presenters discussing the growing momentum behind the need to reduce waste, boost efficiency, close loops in production and marketing, tap into whole new markets and exploit opportunities in the fast-emerging circular economy. In the opening keynote, visionary architect and designer Neri Oxman will discuss how biology and technology can be used to create buildings and products compatible with highly efficient circular systems of the natural world.
On Thursday, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation hosted the launch event of its Circular Cities Network, a global network of city leaders who are pioneering the application of circular economy approaches to address today’s urban challenges.
Discussions on the circular economy always trigger great interest, even on the final afternoon of the action-packed SB’16 Copenhagen conference, judging from the enthusiastically packed room at this breakout on circular business models.
In the midst of talks on “marketing,” “driving business forward” and “creating competitive advantages” this week at SB’16 Copenhagen, Sirikul “Nui” Laukaikul - founder of the Brandbeing Consultant and representing the Thailand Sustainable Development Foundation (TSDF) - started her talk with a simple ask: “Smile.”
I first witnessed Sustainable Brands descend on Detroit in April — flanked by Diego Rivera’s famous mural, Industry, at the Detroit Institute of Arts — when it announced that in 2017, the SB flagship conference would move from San Diego to Detroit.
We’re undergoing a transition to a new economy - one where business is not only focused on returns to shareholders, but also one that understands and prioritizes the complex ecosystem between business, the environment, employees, and the greater community. This new pivot to prioritizing all stakeholders not only creates a framework for accountability and ethical business, but also builds better resilience and long-term value.
Every day, 180,000 people move to urban areas. Urbanization is creating an urgent need for sustainable actions and solutions. At this critical time, National Geographic and United Technologies Corp. are collaborating to raise awareness of sustainable urbanization through the Urban Expeditions initiative. Urban Expeditions will identify cutting-edge research and exploration projects that are leading the way in sustainable urbanization in three key areas:
Three of the world’s largest insurers have called on G20 leaders to implement a timeframe for the end of fossil fuel subsidies when they meet in China this week. The G20 has already committed to phase out “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption” over the “medium term.” In May, the G7 nations pledged to achieve this by 2025.
Under the theme Water for Sustainable Growth, some 3,000 people from over 120 countries are meeting in Stockholm this week for the 26th annual World Water Week.
A new report from relief and development charity Tearfund and the Institute of Development Studies suggests that businesses and governments could help save lives and create jobs by adopting a circular economy approach to waste management.
A unanimous decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld the government’s right to use a social carbon price to inform policymaking. The verdict rejected an industry-backed litigation that challenged the Department of Energy (DOE)’s use of a $36/metric ton estimated social cost of carbon (SCC) in its decision-making on the premise that the figure is not based on “real-world” data.
More and more companies are looking for ways to adopt circular models for their products, and some of the latest examples have been provided by industry giants. Furniture company IKEA, chemical firm Total, and Inditex - parent company of apparel brands Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti and Bershka - are all working to reduce their environmental footprint by changing how their products are made.
As cool as it is to know a jacket was made with recycled plastic bottles – or even bio-textiles made from cow dung or kombucha – changing the raw materials is only one of the ways to reduce the environmental impact of apparel and footwear.
The story of fashion startup Tom Cridland is an impressive one. Established with the help of a $9,000 UK government loan just two years ago, the ethical apparel business has quickly become a $1m turnover organisation with a star-studded roster of famous clients, including Daniel Craig, Leonardo DiCaprio and Miley Cyrus.
Until now, recycling paint has been a laborious, costly process, leading to huge amount of unused paint going to waste and ending up in landfills. Thanks to a collaboration between Dulux-owner AkzoNobel, design and innovation company Seymourpowell, and Newlife Paints, recycling paint may finally be able to become ‘mainstream.’
In December of 2015, representatives from virtually every nation gathered in Paris for the 21st Conference of the Parties, better known as COP21. While the conference didn’t fully resolve the steps needed to address the issue of climate change, the signatures from countries throughout the globe symbolized the emergence of a worldwide commitment to climate action. Officially, COP21’s stated goal was to balance carbon emissions by the latter half of the century. But while the related objectives often target 2030, 2050 or beyond, they will only be realized by making changes today.